Where Angels Dare Fly
by Cardinal-Light
Summary: EVANGELION and SCRAPPED PRINCESS fusion. The last chapters are up. Please read and review.
1. Introduction

Introduction

_Where Angels Dare Fly_ is my first attempt at fan fiction. As part of my first attempt, I have chosen to do a crossover between Evangelion and Scrapped Princess. Why you ask? In SP, we learned that the humans were defeated by a powerful enemy and imprisoned. While SP does mention a general history of the war that led to the human race's imprisonment, it doesn't go into specifics.

That's when I decided that I wanted to explore this idea further. What events lead to the defeat of the human race? Who invented the Guardian Factor and the Peacemakers? For those of you who have seen the show, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you don't, still read the story. These terms will be explained as the story progresses.

I decided to use Evangelion characters to write this story for two reasons. One, this story takes place 5,000 years before the events in SP, so none of the SP characters are alive yet (except for the Dragoons and Peacemakers). Two, some of the characters in SP reminded me of Eva characters (Winnia looks like a red-headed Rei and Shannon reminds me of Kaji in a funny way). I've generally retained the personalities of the Eva characters while making some slight modifications to fit with the story line.

Happy reading!

**A Cardinal-Light Productions Presents**

**Where Angels Dare Fly**

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.


	2. Bad Tidings

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

Lieutenant Shinji Ikari was on his third drink of the night. He tolerated drinks fairly well and it took a lot to get him drunk. To Shinji, the number of beers didn't really matter – nor did the fact that every pilot in the joint watched him slam his bottle down onto the counter. Shinji stared longingly at the bar's only view screen. In the year 2315, mankind had the technology to receive just about every known television channel in the universe.

Tonight Shinji was marveling at the oddity that was the ship's bar. It seemed that when everyone else was getting drunk, the bar showed a comedy or a particularly good soap. But, when Shinji got drunk they showed the news. This bar was a place for Shinji to forget those who had fallen, but it seemed that the universe didn't want Shinji to forget.

Shinji wanted to spit at the screen when he saw the image of the news anchor – a greasy blonde-haired Caucasian man. 'At least he's not a million miles from home fighting and dying for some blot on an admiral's star map,' Shinji thought. 'I bet he gets to go home tonight and screw his wife.'

"Good evening. We begin tonight with an update from the front. Initial reports from Fleet Headquarters indicate that Terran forces have retaken the Vega system. Commodore Kouzou Fuyutsuki, a spokesman for the Fleet Headquarters has credited the Seer Sylvia Mauser with providing detailed information on the enemy's movements. According to Commodore Fuyutsuki, Mauser's predictions proved so accurate that the 15th Terran Fleet managed to decimate half of the enemy fleet within the first fifteen minutes of battle. There is no word yet on the number of Terran casualties."

Shinji winced. The other half of the enemy fleet probably put up a better fight than their deceased brethren. 'We probably lost a lot more than they're willing to admit,' he thought.

Shinji continued listening as he started another drink. "People are celebrating the arrival of Captain Beckenham Mauser," the image of a young man in his early twenties appeared on the screen. He was about six-feet tall, athletic in build, and all topped off by a mass of brown hair on his head. A diminutive purple haired girl with pale skin stood with the Captain. "Captain Mauser, the famous D-Knight ace credited with thirty-eight confirmed kills will receive a special commendation from Secretary General George Browning at a ceremony tomorrow afternoon in recognition for his accomplishments in battle against the enemy."

As Shinji watched he felt the presence of another body sit down in the chair next to him. He didn't even have to turn around to recognize the person sitting next to him. "What the hell are you doing here, _Lieutenant_ Suzuhara?" He asked with an edge in his voice.

"Shinji, you have to stop this. You don't have to do this to yourself every time someone gets bagged." Toji Suzuhara pleaded with his friend.

"Damn it, Kensuke wasn't just anyone! I was flight leader. I should have saved him, but I couldn't. I should have been faster. If only that guy hadn't gotten in behind me, then Kensuke would still be here. I failed him."

"Now look, you, Kensuke, and I came up from the academy together. Don't you remember what Kensuke always said? He said that he didn't want anyone to feel bad if he ever got bagged."

"I can still hear him in my mind, Touji. Can you hear him, Touji? You weren't there. You didn't have to watch his Dragoon get chopped in half. You didn't have to listen to him call out for his mother. You weren't the one who could have saved him. I could have saved him, but I was too slow. My finger was on the trigger the moment he was cleaved in two. I could've been faster."

"Don't bla-…"

"ENOUGH! I'm at fault!"

The activity inside the bar stopped momentarily as the fight between the two friends reached its climax. Touji slammed his fist down on the table. "Damn it, you think you're the only one with shame hanging on their shoulders? If I had drink every time something went wrong out here, I'd probably be dead. Look deep inside yourself, Shinji. Are you really going to sit here until you drink yourself under the table?"

Shinji took a long look at the bottle in his hand as he contemplated an answer. Finally, Shinji took a deep swig from his bottle and placed it back onto the counter. He turned and looked Touji in the eye before leaping at him, fists flying as he went. The two found themselves on the ground scuffling about. The patrons quickly gathered around and watched the fight, some even placed bets.

However, the fight was broken up as quickly as it started. Security personnel dressed in black overalls and armed with stun sticks pushed the two friends apart and restrained them. As the haze of the brawl cleared in their minds, Touji and Shinji looked upon a face they wish they hadn't seen – the purple-haired Colonel Misato Katsuragi. She wore a sinister smirk on her face and her eyes pierced into Touji and Shinji like knives.

"Mr. Suzuhara, Mr. Ikari. When I received a call about a disturbance in the bar, how did I know that I would find you two rolling around on the floor? Tell me… Were you two fighting or just trying to get to know each other better?"

A number of chuckles could be heard among the patrons when a grizzled looking sergeant turned and said, "Get back to your drinks. This is ship business."

The patrons grumbled as Touji put on his best smile. "I was just teaching Ikari here the finer points of hand to hand combat. You see we were having this discussion…"

"Can it, mister! Don't you realize that I can have you locked up on charges of disorderly conduct?"

"Yes, ma'am." Touji replied.

"Well, Mr. Ikari? Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Shinji sucked in his gut, stood at attention, and took a step forward. Shinji knew that Touji could have simply turned him in to save his own skin. But, his friend of nearly seven years stood by him. 'What the hell? Lying to the Colonel might be fun. Besides, it wasn't like I want to stay in this war forever', Shinji thought.

"Ma'am, Tou… I mean Suzuhara really was demonstrating the finer points of hand-to-hand combat. I have become a bit rusty and Suzuhara has been training with… with…" Shinji blinked as he realized Touji and Kensuke were always brushing up on their hand-to-hand combat skills. They claimed it helped their reflexes in space combat. "With Aida… ma'am."

Misato looked at the two young men in front of her. She had seen so many people lie in the past that Touji and Shinji's lie was easy to spot. She couldn't let the poor kids off too easy. She cleared her throat, "Ahem. Well, you do know that lying to a superior officer calls for a court martial hearing. However, I see no reason to take such a corrective measure at this time. Sergeant?"

"Yes, ma'am?" The sergeant answered.

"Take Mr. Suzuhara and Mr. Ikari to the brig. I want them punished. Combat training is strictly prohibited to recreational areas. Three days detention for the both of you. I expect only the best behavior from you, Mr. Suzuhara. As for you, Mr. Ikari…"

"Ma'am?" Shinji asked.

"I expect better from the son of an admiral."

Shinji's demeanor changed at the mention of his illustrious father. His father, the ace with more that fifty confirmed kills; his father, the admiral whose combat tactics kept the enemy at bay; and his father, the man who had abandoned his son in favor of his career. "Ma'am," Shinji finally managed with ice in his voice, "I don't have a father."

Misato looked at Shinji for a moment. 'I guess he doesn't get along too well', she thought. 'I suppose that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.' Misato finally responded, "Very well. I still expect the very best from you. Security, take them away."

With that, the guards led Shinji and Touji away as the bar patrons looked on. 'This is going to be bad for morale', Misato thought. She turned to the patrons in the bar and said, "Everyone, I'm sorry that happened. Let's try and avoid those spectacles in the future."

She turned to the bartender and told him, "The next round is on the house." As the patrons cheered, she checked her watch. 'Looks like I still have some time before I have to go to the bridge. I guess one Yebisu wouldn't hurt…'

* * *

Lieutenant Maya Ibuki checked her watch. 'Where's the Colonel? She should have been here ten minutes ago', she thought. 'I wonder if she's delayed by that fight down in the bar?'

Maya joined the Terran Starfleet three days after her twenty-first birthday. By her nature, Maya wasn't a violent person. In fact, she always enjoyed working with computers and had wanted to attend school on Earth to train as a computer scientist. Unfortunately, the HI descended on her colony, Arius Eridani, when she was only twenty. She could still see her parents in her mind, urging her on as she ran into one of the last transports to leave the colony.

She never saw her parents again. They failed to make it to the transport. Maya remembered how she saw her colony for the first time from space and watched it burn brightly while her transport ascended. As her twenty-first birthday approached, she found herself without a job to support herself. So, she chose the only job available, enlistment in the Terran Starfleet. Here she was, almost four years at Officer Candidate School had prepared her for her dual position as navigator and executive officer aboard an Orbital Fortress-class battleship, the Vanguard.

When she heard the swish of the bridge doors, she turned to greet a slightly tipsy Misato. "Colonel on the bridge!" Maya called out.

Misato waved her hand playfully. "Cut it out, Maya. You know that I prefer to be informal on the bridge." Misato hiccupped slightly and almost tripped, but she managed to balance herself. "Now, report."

"Ma'am, our escorts report no contacts and I have kept the Gigas on a regular patrol pattern."

Misato nodded, "Did you have the escorts power down and scan using passive sensors?"

"Ah, n- n- no Ma'am. Was I supposed to do that?"

"Basic combat tactics, Maya. The HI will often trail our ships using passive sensors. The response time on the passive sensing system is slower because it uses less power to prevent detection. By powering down suddenly, the enemy looses our position and is forced to power up their sensors in order to reacquire us, thereby exposing their position."

"I'll try and remember that next time."

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Besides, this is a secure system. All we ever get are raids. Like the one…"

A red light blinked on the console of Makoto Hyuga. He checked his instruments before reporting, "Ma'am, the Exeter is reporting multiple contacts coming through the local jump gate."

"Have they identified the contacts?"

"Negative, Ma'am."

"Who's patrolling that area?"

"Exeter, Chicago, and Nemesis."

"Have them investigate with Nemesis taking point and Exeter and Chicago in support. I want those contacts visually identify. How far are we from the jump gate?"

Maya looked at her console, "14,000 kilometers."

Misato considered the situation for a moment before issuing orders, "All right, inform the rest of our escorts. Have them begin making their way towards the jump point and plot us an intercept course with last known position of the contacts. Mr. Aoba, alert the Gigas pilots."

Shigeru Aoba turned to Misato. "Ma'am, what should we do about our D-Knights?"

"They are in the brig at the moment. Let's find out how serious this is before we call on them."

"Yes, Ma'am."

'This isn't right', thought Misato as Shigeru followed her orders. 'The HI haven't wandered this close to Earth before in significant numbers. They always preferred to send smaller ships through jump gates first to reconnoiter the area before calling on the rest of their fleet.'

"Mr. Aoba, put the ship on second stage alert, power up the shields, and activate the defensive grid."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Misato waited patiently as Makoto double checked his instruments before reporting. "Ma'am, the Nemesis has visual contact with the unknowns. It looks like…"

"Like what, Mr. Hyuga?"

Makoto's voice wavered slightly as he answered, "It looks like three Orbital Fortress-class battleships, seven Achilles-class cruisers, and eighteen Anchorage-class destroyers."

"Friendlies?" Misato asked dumfounded, "Why haven't they contacted us yet?"

When Makoto's console beeped, he turned a pale shade.

"Mr. Hyuga, you look sick. Is something wrong?"

"Ma'am, we… we're receiving a transmission from the lead vessel. They identify themselves as the TDFS Concordia."

Misato was shocked, "Concordia! What the hell is the 15th Fleet doing here? Aren't they supposed to be in the Vega system?"

"I don't know, but the computer has positively identified the ships. They are all part of the 15th Fleet. Although it looks like they're missing some ships and some of the escorts look pretty banged up."

"Well, let's not keep them waiting. Put them on screen." Misato adjusted her red flight jacket and fixed the collar on her tan uniform before she spoke, "This is Colonel Katsuragi of the Terran Defense Force Ship Vanguard, who am I speaking with."

At that moment, the image of man wearing yellow tinted glasses appeared on screen. His uniform was similar to Misato's, except it was black. The rank insignia on the collar identified him as an admiral. "I believe that is my line, Colonel. I am the ranking officer here."

For the first time in her career, Misato felt a chill travel down her spine. Sitting in front of her with his white-gloved hands clasped in front of him was Admiral Gendo Ikari.

* * *

A/N: I watched SP several times and the Vanguard was referred to as a 'Free Mobile Fortress' and 'Orbital Fortress' depending on the fan sub version. Vanguard is also referred to as 'Skid' occasionally by some of the SP characters. I chose Orbital Fortress Vanguard because I thought it sounded better.

D-knights are Dragoon Knights. They pilot powerful mechas called Dragoons, who have the appearance of young girls. Only two Dragoons, Natalie and Zephyris play a major role in SP.

Concordia is a tip of the hat to Wing Commander.

I hope you liked reading WADF. Please read and review. If I see positive reviews for this, I'll continue posting.

Cardinal-Light


	3. Of Plans and Mechas

A/N: I've wanted to update for several weeks, but school got in the way. I posted the next two chapters, so enjoy and remember to review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

"Well, Colonel? Are you going to say something or are you simply going to leave me here?" Ikari asked with a hint of annoyance.

Misato could barely contain her anxiety when she replied, "Ah yes, sir. I mean no, sir. It's a pleasant surprise. I thought you were still in the Vega system."

"That situation is being taken care of. We are here for a different purpose."

Makoto squinted at his console. "Ma'am, I think the Concordia is sending us some orders."

"Your communications officer is correct. I suggest you read through them before we continue our conversation."

Misato walked over to Makoto's console and read through the order.

_From: Supreme Commander, Terran Defense Forces_

_To: Commander, 15th Terran Fleet_

_CC: Commander, 334th Independent Combat Group_

_Admiral Ikari,_

_You are ordered to proceed to the Procyon System, take command of the 334th Independent Combat Group stationed there and use these additional forces to commence Operation Hope. Good luck_

_Signed,_

_Marshal Keel Lorenz_

_Supreme Commander_

_Terran Defense Forces_

Misato stared at the image of Ikari incredulously. "Sir, I never received a copy of this order."

"You did now. From this day and until the completion of our operation, you will be attached to my fleet."

"Sir, my orders must come directly from Headquarters. I must pro-…"

Ikari cut Misato off, "If you have a complaint, I suggest you file it after we have completed this operation."

Misato hung her head in defeat, "Very well, what do you want me to do?"

"I knew you would see it my way, Colonel. I am coming aboard at 1400 hours to discuss the details of this operation with you. Will this be satisfactory?"

Misato nodded. "Yes, sir. I understand."

* * *

Misato and her honor detail stood before the admiral's shuttle. Her duty uniform and flight jacket were replaced by a black dress uniform. As Ikari emerged from the shuttle, she could barely contain her shock when she saw the people accompanying him. She regained control of her senses in time to bring the honor guard to attention. When Ikari approached, Misato stepped forward and saluted him.

"Sir, welcome to the Vanguard."

Ikari returned the salute and said, "At ease, Colonel. I have brought along two individuals you may know. This is Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, an expert in bio-cybernetics." Ikari gestured to a blonde-haired woman standing off to his right. Ritsuko nodded in recognition. "And, this is my intelligence officer, Colonel Ryouji Kaji." The unshaven Kaji grinned foolishly.

'Damn', Misato thought. 'If having a loose cannon of an admiral show up wasn't enough, then having my best friend and that bastard Kaji show up is enough get me grounded.'

Misato stood at ease and said, "Sir, I have prepared one of our conference rooms for our… _consultation_."

"Excellent, Colonel. You are everything Headquarters said you were."

Misato wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or an insult.

* * *

Ikari sat at the conference table with Kaji standing behind him. Misato sat off to Ikari's right with Ritsuko sitting directly in front of her.

Ikari began the meeting, "I am sure that this situation seems quite unusual, but Colonel Kaji can explain the details. Colonel?"

The room darkened as Kaji began his presentation. On the conference room's view screen, a star map appeared with human territory shown in green and known HI held territory denoted by red.

"As you know, the HI first appeared out of unexplored space sixteen years ago. At that time we knew very little about them other than their home world lay beyond our borders. We don't know why they struck, but since 2300 humanity has been forced to yield more than seventy light-years worth of territory. That all changed about a five years ago with Project NERV headed by Dr. Akagi. She used the work of Dr. Uri Keller…"

"Keller?" Misato asked. "Isn't that the nutty biologist who was convinced that he could bring out natural telepathic ability in people?"

Ritsuko answered, "That's correct. Specifically, Keller believed that the human mind was capable of communication over vast distances. However, Project NERV focused on developing talent for remote viewing rather than telepathy…"

"Remote viewing?" Misato wondered out loud.

"Remote viewing is the ability of the human mind to see distant events as they occur in real time and space. Unlike telepathy, there is no direct mental communication. Project NERV, or Natural Enhancement of Remote Viewing seeks to develop the latent skills of individual remote viewers."

"So, this 'Seer' I've been hearing so much about lately is a product of this project of yours?"

"The Seer Sylvia Mauser is the ultimate product of years of training and testing. She was the only one to develop her skills to the degree necessary to predict the HI's movements. I merely used Keller's work to locate people who probably had the highest degree of latent talent."

Kaji interjected, "The Seer's ability to view enemy movements accurately is unparalleled. However, while she can see the enemy's movements, it is still up to the fleets and their pilots to fight the enemy. And, this outcome cannot be predicted by remote viewing. That is where the Admiral comes in. His 15th Fleet spent the past year training with a new weapon. One that can replace the ailing Dragon and ineffective Gigas mechas."

Kaji touched a button and the screen was filled with a menacing red machine easily a hundred feet tall. "I present to you the product of three years of AI research and development, the Valkyrie."

"Wow, did you build those Ritsuko?" Misato asked.

Ritsuko shook her head. "No, I didn't. One of my students did. She took the basic Dragon design and rebuilt it from the ground up. She used a new type of AI system to replace the faulty Dragon AI. It is an utterly loyal machine and is already being mass produced."

Misato stared at the picture in awe. "Ma- Mass produced! When will we get them?"

Ikari leaned forward, "Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time in which to test these devices, so the 15th Fleet has been _field testing _them."

Kaji nodded, "Yes, the recent operation to retake Vega was almost completely successful."

Misato's eyes dimmed slightly when she heard this. "What do you mean?"

Kaji opened his mouth to say something when Ikari cut him off, "That's all right, Kaji. I'll tell her. Understand Colonel, what I'm about to tell you is top secret. Mauser has _assisted_ us in keeping the enemy at bay for now. However, projections indicate that without a significant breakthrough, humanity will lose the war sometime in the next decade unless something is done to halt the advance. That number reduces significantly if the HI maintain their strangle hold on the Vega system."

Ikari reached over and pushed a button and an animation began playing out. It showed human territory surround the Vega system shrinking until the front reached Earth. "You see, Vega is a kind of crossroads which can be used to strike almost any planet within our remaining territory except for Earth. This is why 15th Fleet struck the HI in full force using the new Valkyries. We managed to mop up some of their forces, but they're dug in around the principal jump gate. They have excellent defenses. We tried to break them, but it was nearly impossible even with the Valkyries because they're always bringing in reinforcements."

Ritsuko reached into her pocket, pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Smoke came out of her mouth as she spoke, "Command banged heads around until someone realized that the solution to the Vega problem can be found in the history books."

"History? I think you lost me, Ritsuko."

Kaji coughed before answering, "Well, during World War II, American paratroopers needed to capture an important bridge, but were initially unsuccessful. With Allied reinforcements on the way the Germans threatened to blow up the bridge to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Then, the American commander realized that the best way to take the bridge was to attack it from both sides."

Misato nodded when she realized what Kaji was getting at. "I see! So, you want to attack enemy forces holding the Vega jump gate and the reinforcements on the other side of the gate simultaneously."

Ikari smiled as he heard this, "Yes, Colonel. I can see you're not just another pretty face…" Misato felt insulted, but restrained herself. "Kaji?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Show Colonel Katsuragi the plan."

Kaji tapped something on the console in front of him before the image changed. It was a map of the Vega system. A female voice began narrating the animation, "Operation Hope. Conceived by Admiral Gendo Ikari and approved by Secretary General George Browning, this plan aims to retake the Vega system and prevent a complete collapse of human resistance."

The map of the Vega system changed to a star map. Vega was prominently labeled on the map along with another system: the Arius Eridani system. "Recent intelligence indicates that the principle Vega jump gate has been connected to the Arius Eridani system. This system is thought to figure prominently into the HI command and control structure for the Vega sector."

Screen zoomed in to show the Arius Eridani system. "Operation Hope is broken down into four phases. Phase one requires a blocking force to jump in-system and attack the facilities surrounding the Arius Eridani jump gate while preventing reinforcements from reaching the jump gate. Valkyrie, Dragon and Gigas mechas will provide close support."

The map changed to the Vega system. "With the blocking force in place, phase two will commence. Phase two consists of a large attack force which will dislodge the HI from the Vega jump gate."

A picture of a large, black diamond shape object appeared. "While phase two is underway, phase three will begin. Ships in the blocking force will begin dropping sensor-shielded mines in order to prevent free navigation into the jump gate. With phase three complete, the blocking force will extricate themselves from Arius Eridani and jump back into human space."

As the screen blanked out Misato spoke up, "Sir, which force will we be participating with?"

Gendo smiled coldly. "You will join the bulk of the 15th Fleet in the assault on Arius Eridani. My current second in command, Commodore Fuyutsuki, is planning the assault on the HI holding the Vega jump gate so you will take his place as my second."

"If you don't mind my asking, why us?"

"I can answer that, Colonel," Ritsuko replied, "The mass production Valkyrie is still in the development phase. Our Vega campaign has shown that there is a slight glitch in their neural processors. We haven't isolated this glitch yet, so we still require the support of the Gigas and the Dragons. Those vehicles are combat proven."

Ritsuko stopped talking as Kaji spoke, "Your combat group has experience in operating around jump gates against the enemy, you are currently posted in a sector not vital for defense and you have the support of three Dragons…"

"Two Dragons." Misato corrected Kaji flatly.

Kaji stopped for a moment and stared at Misato. "What?"

"Two Dragons. I lost one to a raider while on patrol last week."

"Regardless, Colonel," Ikari clasped his hands in front of his face, "We have gathered the largest number of Dragons of any combat unit of the TDF. There are three Dragon on the Concordia. We'll be handing them off to the Vanguard tomorrow. That will give you operational control of five Dragons while the Valkyries operate from the Concordia under my command. Colonel Kaji?"

"Sir?"

"Has intelligence inquired as to the disposition and status of defenses around the Arius Eridani jump gate?"

"No, sir. I'll ask intelligence for a Mauser reading when we return to the Concordia."

Admiral Ikari placed his hands on the table and stood up, "I believe that is all for today. Colonel Katsuragi, I will be sending over three Dragon Knights along with Colonel Kaji. He will act as a liaison between your group and my fleet." With that, the Admiral left quietly accompanied by Ritsuko. Kaji remained behind to clear up his files.

Misato watched him warily as he straightened up. "Looks like we're together again, Katsuragi." Kaji grinned as he sorted the papers.

"Kaji," Misato called. She bit her lip as she waited for him to respond.

"Yes?"

"What really happened at Vega?"

Kaji looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I saw the sensor data. Not all of your escorts are with you and some of your accompanying escorts are trashed. The _Admiral_ isn't being frank with me."

Kaji gave her a grim look, "Misato, I can't give you that information."

Misato gave Kaji a disparaging look. "Kaji, that man just up and usurps my ship like it's nothing and expects me to go into the lion's den without hesitation. I love my ship and my men. I would do anything for them. Tell me Kaji, what happened? What is this _glitch_ that Ritsuko is talking about?"

Kaji sighed in defeat. "We got the drop on the HI like the Admiral said and we had them on the run. We could have driven them back across the jump gate, but the Valkyries suddenly froze. For five seconds they refused to take any commands from us. Ritsuko claims that the neural processors still need work…"

"You think there's something else going on, don't you?"

Kaji nodded slowly. "Yes, I think the HI had something to do with it. We detected a spike in HI communication when the Valkyries froze. It's possible that their communication system is interfering with ours, but that Ritsuko is too proud to admit it."

"What happened after the Valkyries froze?"

"The Admiral launched the Gigas and Dragons, but it was no use. Reinforcements had already arrived and they threatened to drive our forces back, but we held. The politicians on Earth are calling it a resounding victory, but the truth of the matter is…"

Misato held up her hand and shook her head. "No more. Thanks, Kaji."

A small smile appeared on Kaji face. And, for the first time in years, Misato felt as though she wanted to kiss the unshaven man.


	4. Jailhouse Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

It was a field of flowers. Shinji was sure of it. The flowers were all different. There were blue bonnets, lilacs, and daisies among others. Walking across the field was like walking on air; each step was soft and timeless. Shinji was alone at first, but the figures came.

His father appeared at the edge of the field. Ikari's departing shadow was a blight. "Wait," Shinji cried as he tried to catch up, "Father! Why don't you want me, Father?"

Shinji stopped. Kensuke was blocking his path. "Good-bye, Shinji," Kensuke said in his happy-go lucky voice, "It's been great." Shinji reached out to touch his friend, but the apparition was blown away in the wind.

That's when Shinji saw her. Her short, bluish hair flickered in the wind. Her eyes were closed, but her lips were moving – the words lost in the wind. Shinji noted that she was wearing a D-Knight's uniform. Her legs were tucked in close to her chest with arms wrapped around them.

Shinji walked closer and circled her from a distance. Her lips closed and her eyes flew open as he stopped in front of her. She had sapphire eyes. "What is it you want, Lieutenant Ikari?"

Shinji stuttered his response, "I- I- I want to know your name."

"Ayanami."

Everything went dark as Shinji repeated her name, "Ayanami…"

* * *

When Shinji woke up, he found himself face-to-face with Touji. Touji shook his head and smirked. "You had to sleep off all that beer, I suppose."

Shinji pushed him away slightly. "Get off my bunk."

Touji stood up and crossed his arms. "The last time I checked this is OUR bunk, OUR cell, OUR…"

"You made your point." Shinji got up from his bunk and held his hand to his head. "My head's pounding."

"Good," Touji said sarcastically, "Then you'll miss all the excitement."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing. Except for the red alert…"

"Alert?" Shinji was startled. "What happened?"

"Don't know, but that was about two hours ago."

Shinji was about to inquire further, but a beeping sound caught his attention. Shinji and Touji watched as their cell's force field dropped to reveal Misato in her dress uniform. Shinji and Touji came to attention as she walked in.

She gave them a once over before talking, "Looks like you boys won a reprieve. Grab your gear and get to your rooms. Stay there until further notice."

"Ma'am," Touji said, "I don't understand."

"Something big is coming and we need you, Lieutenant Suzuhara. We need both of you."

* * *

Shinji inputted his password and unlocked the door to his quarters. He felt the room's cold air rush past as the door swished open. Yui was waiting there for him by the entry. "Master, where have you been?"

Shinji trudged in as the door closed behind him. "I've been in jail, Yui," Shinji stated matter-of-factly to his Dragon.

Yui looked like a normal little girl of about seven or eight. She wore boyish hair in the style of Shinji's mother. It was the same hair that Ayanami girl had. Yui wore a flowing purple dress that matched her pale, purple skin and hair. "What happened, Master? I was worried."

Shinji shook his head. "It was nothing. By the way, how many times have I told you to call me Shinji? None of this _master_ stuff, please."

"I'm sorry, Shinji. My programming has a tendency to take over."

Shinji walked over to his bed and promptly flopped down on it. "Yui, what happened while I was gone?"

"Colonel Katsuragi called an alert because our escorts detected unknown ships in the vicinity of the local jump gate. She put us on alert to be on the safe side, but it turned out to be the 15th Fleet. I believe that Admiral Ikari is with them."

Shinji turned over in his bed and stared up into the ceiling. A pregnant silence ensued between the Dragon and her Knight. Yui broke the silence, "Are you all right, Shinji? I looked up Admiral Ikari for you and he is your… parent."

Shinji shook his head. "No, Yui. That _man_ is not my parent."

"Is it a computer error?"

"Yes, Yui. It is an error."

"I see," Yui said in a pensive voice, "Then, you should know that representatives from the 15th Fleet visited the Colonel this afternoon and she ordered a group-wide combat readiness alert within minutes of the meeting."

Shinji moaned, "Oh, man. What else is new?"

"You recently received a communiqué from Chief Horaki. She wishes to check the combat readiness of the Dragons. The Colonel approved the check."

"All right, Yui," Shinji said. "I'll take you to see Hikari this evening."

Shinji lay in bed for a while, thinking about the dream. He thought bitterly about his father's shadow and how it cast its darkness over his life. In his mind, Shinji could still see Kensuke's happy, freckled face as it told him good-bye. And then, there was Ayanami. She was dressed in a D-Knight's uniform… Shinji thought to himself, 'Should I check?'

"Yui, you there?"

"Yes, Shinji?"

"Can you access the D-Knight database and cross-reference the name Ayanami?"

"Is that a first or last name?"

Shinji was unsure. "It's probably her last name, but check first names too."

The Dragon closed her eyes as she scanned. When she opened her eyes, she said, "There is a match, Shinji. D-Knight Rei Ayanami, Rank: Captain. Much of her file is restricted."

"Can you tell me where she is stationed?"

The response sent chills down Shinji's spine, "She is currently with the 15th Fleet."

* * *

Hikari Horaki rubbed her eyes as she stared at the data. She had worked on maintenance for the Gigas stationed for nearly six hours. 'That Colonel,' Hikari thought as she scrolled through the data in front of her, 'why can't she tell me about these things earlier.'

"Chief?"

Hikari's train of thought was broken when she heard the tiny voice. "Yes, Gloria?"

"You look concerned. Is something wrong?"

Hikari smiled. "Don't worry, Gloria. Nothing's wrong with you. I was just thinking about all the work I've done today. And, about all the work that needs to be done."

Gloria put her hand to her chin, giving her a thoughtful air. "There is a human psychological problem called a 'nervous breakdown'. Should I call the ship's physician?"

Hikari laughed. These Dragons were robots, but they displayed human qualities that were childish at times. "It's just stress, Gloria. I think I'll feel better when I get some sleep." The console beeped for her attention. Hikari glanced at the data on her screen. "Good news, Gloria," Hikari said brightly, "The scan shows no anomalous conditions. You've held up pretty well."

"It's because of Touji. He treats me like I'm real. To put it in human terms… I love him."

Love. That was a strange word for Hikari to hear. Hikari was alone when she first came aboard the Vanguard as its chief mecha engineer. She wasn't a mecha engineer because she enjoyed it. On the contrary, she hated the profession that consumed her father. It crushed her family when her father died serving humanity, so she vowed not to get involved.

But, she was drafted out of necessity and chosen to serve as a mecha engineer. Computers did most of the work. All she had to do was monitor the results and order the computers to take the correct action. She was good at her job, but she almost became a machine herself.

Touji Suzuhara was the one who saved her from this mechanical lifestyle. He was the first one to befriend her. Touji was handsome in a goofy sort of way. Hikari didn't want to admit it, but she occasionally kept tabs on which females he took interest in. She never saw him spend a significant amount of time with any other female other than herself and Gloria. Like the Dragon, she too was smitten.

"Chief? Am I ready?"

Hikari's train of thought returned. "Oh! Ummm, yes. Gloria, you may go now. I believe Yui is next. Please have her come in. And, ask Lieutenants Suzuhara and Ikari wait around. I need to show them the results."

"Yes, Chief."

* * *

Misato took a sip from her Yebisu as she flipped through the dossiers the 15th Fleet. It was late, so she skipped reading through Kaji's dossier. She had known the unshaven man for years, so there was no need to review his background. She was intensely interested in her new D-Knights and mecha engineer.

First in the pile of dossiers was Asuka Langely Soryu. Her flaming red hair was as fiery as her personality. While she excelled in academic studies by graduating at the top of her class, she had received numerous citations for disorderly conduct. Asuka's reckless combat-flying style earned her the moniker 'Fireball'. Her instructors reported that every student in the school, save for one Rei Ayanami, refused to fly with her.

Misato was surprised to find that Rei Ayanami's dossier was the second in the pile. Rei's instructors credited her with being an excellent, by the book flyer. Flying was apparently a skill that came naturally due to Rei's background as an asteroid miner in the Kuniper Belt beyond Pluto. Academy instructors paired Rei with Asuka in an attempt to check Asuka's reckless flying. The instructors seemed pleased with their match, especially since Rei never questioned her pairing with Asuka.

The third pilot was the least experienced of the group. Mana Kirishima was a recent graduate of the Academy. She was a solid pilot and her cheerful and friendly demeanor made her well suited to be paired with a Dragon. She hadn't been in too many engagements, but she distinguished herself in the recent Vega campaign.

The mecha engineer was a last minute addition to the Vanguard's assigned personnel. Kaoru Nagisa, like Rei, had a miner background. Much of his dossier was classified except for the fact that he had worked under Ritsuko for a number of years. 'I guess she doesn't trust me. So, she's sic-ing one of her dogs on me,' thought Misato as she took her last swig of Yebisu.


	5. Arrival

A/N: Happy 2005 to all. I thought I'd start the year by posting two more chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

Shinji was nervous as he watched the shuttle land in the shuttle bay. 'Who's this Ayanami person?' Shinji wondered as he tucked and straightened his tan uniform. According to Misato, they were getting five new crew members. Rumors were already flying about their ship's next destination. Some of the more wild rumors claimed that intelligence had located the HI's home world and was planning a full-scale raid. Touji figured it had something to do with the Vega campaign, but Shinji kept his theories to himself.

"So, who are these guys, Colonel?" Touji asked as he yawned.

"We're getting a couple of new D-Knights. You'll be working together to try out some new weapons and tactics the 15th Fleet has been working with."

"Really…" Touji trailed off. Shinji knew that Touji wasn't convinced that Misato was telling the whole truth. "Colonel," Touji continued, "You do realize that Fleet regulations stipulate that the Dragon complement is limited to three on an Orbital Fortress-class ship?"

Misato smiled, "You realize that reciting regulations to a superior officer is considered insubordination."

Touji was defeated. He wasn't going to get any more information from Misato. The trio turned to their heads toward the door as they heard footsteps approach. A breathless Hikari appeared and stood next to Touji. "I'm sorry, Colonel," Hikari managed to say in between gasps for air, "I was working on a Gigas and I lost track of time."

Misato didn't have time to respond. The shuttle door opened up to reveal eight figures: five humans and three Dragons. Shinji recognized Rei immediately, but he failed to recognize the other four humans. An older man stepped forward and saluted, "Thanks for having us aboard, Katsuragi."

Misato returned his salute. "Colonel Kaji, you will address me as Colonel Katsuragi while we are in the presence of others."

Kaji grinned sheepishly, "All right, Colonel Katsuragi. I'll remember that. By the way, let me introduce you. First, this is Kaoru Nagisa," Kaji motioned to a grayish-white haired young man on his left, "He'll be working with your chief mecha engineer and pilots."

Kaoru bowed and said, "Thank you for having me aboard."

Then, Kaji motioned to his right, "These three beautiful ladies are your new D-Knights. Meet Asuka Langely Soryu, Rei Ayanami, and Mana Kirishima."

"Thanks, for introducing me, Kaji," Asuka spoke up, "I am looking forward to serving under you, Colonel Katsuragi. I've heard so much about you."

Mana was the next to speak, "Likewise, Colonel. It's a pleasure to be aboard."

Ayanami nodded curtly and said nothing.

Misato smiled and acknowledged the girls. "I'm glad to have you three aboard. Oh my, where are my manners? Let me introduce you. This is Shinji Ikari…"

"What?" Asuka said loudly. "You're an Ikari? As in THE Ikari?"

Shinji was pensive in his response, "Uh, um. Yes, I'm related to Admiral Ikari."

"Then you must be G-O-O-D," Asuka replied as she smiled devilishly.

Shinji wasn't sure what to say, but Touji leaned over to him and whispered, "She's going to be a bitch."

"The one who's asking for it is Touji Suzuhara."

Touji clicked his heels and stood at attention. "Please to meet you."

"That's a good boy," Misato teased, "And, last, but not least is our resident mecha engineer, Hikari Horaki."

Hikari bowed slightly. "I look forward to working with your Dragons."

"Damn," Kaji said as his eyes widen in realization, "I almost forgot to introduce the Dragons. Greta is the one with long, flowing hair."

"Yeah. She's mine and don't forget it," Asuka piped up.

"Natalie is the one with droopy ribbons in her hair. She belongs to Rei. And, the on with twin pigtails is Mana's Dragon, Rene." All the Dragons bowed formally.

"It's always nice meeting other Dragons," Misato said. "Shinji and Touji's Dragons aren't here right now, but their names are Yui and Gloria. They belong to Shinji and Touji respectively."

Kaji smiled. "Now that everybody knows each other, what does the good Colonel have planned?"

"Oh, nothing special…" Misato trailed off.

* * *

" INCOMING, 2 O'CLOCK!" Touji screamed over the radio.

Only a few minutes before Touji and Mana were flying fleet defense around the Vanguard with Shinji, Rei and Asuka in reserve when the HI attacked. At first it looked like a probe since Touji and Mana beat off the attack so easily, but several of the ships got through. Shinji managed to bag a couple before Asuka flew in to deliver a coup d'grace. With Shinji's attention focused on the reckless pilot, he failed to notice Mana as she became overwhelmed by a force of re-grouped HI ships.

Shinji tried to assess the situation. Mana was down. Touji was too far out for either he or Asuka to provide any meaningful support. Rei was close to the ship, so she could support the Vanguard. However, he and Asuka were staring down the barrels of the HI ships. "Asuka," Shinji called out over the radio, "Bank right and return to waypoint Gamma."

Her response was not too comforting, "What the hell are you thinking! I'll be exposed…"

"At least the Vanguard's defense grid can cover you! Out here, we're just targets." An explosion filled Shinji's vision. "Touji!" Shinji screamed out for his friend.

"Pilot Ikari. Pilot Soryu. I've lost contact with the ship. Their communication system appears to have been hit," Rei reported solemnly, "Switch to…"

Shinji lost track of Rei's voice as he began tangling with the HI ships. He fired a volley to scatter the ships and dived. A quick swipe with his saber dispatched one HI ship. An HI ship slipped in behind him, but Shinji dodged the ship's shots, pulled a tight turn, and ended up behind his attacker. An attack from his laser cannons dispatched that ship too. However, Shinji failed to see a ship come in from below.

The last thing Shinji saw as his Dragon was sliced in two was the bright light from the HI ship's weapons. A convenient 'You're Dead' message appeared on the simulation screen. Shinji sighed and put down his headset. 'The Colonel is going to kill us,' Shinji thought as he walked out of the simulator and into a holding area. Mana and Touji were already there.

Touji grinned when he saw Shinji. "Tough shit, eh?"

"No shit," Shinji spat.

"What kind of simulation was that?" Mana asked as she took a drink from a water bottle she held in her hand.

"I thought that was a program 7, but it looks like it was a program 28," Touji replied.

Mana gave Touji a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

"Around here," Shinji answered, "We call simulations programs. Each program has a numerical identifier depending on the situation. For example, a program with a multiple of seven has to do with fleet and ship defense. The Colonel drills all of the pilots and she expects us to know each situation by its identifier."

"It's a real bitch," Touji added. "But, it helps keep us alive because all the pilots know how to respond based on the situation. You see, in a program 7 the HI launch a probing attack on the Vanguard. But, in program 28, the HI probing attack acts as a trap to draw the Dragons into fighting a much larger force. We should have responded by drawing back into the Vanguard's defensive grid where we can receive some protection. It's a pretty hard scenario. I wonder why she decided to start out with that one…"

Touji was cut off by Asuka as she stormed into the holding area. "What the hell was that! What kind of game is this Colonel playing?"

"Where's Rei?" Mana asked innocently.

"Wondergirl? She's still fighting, but she was about to overwhelmed when I was destroyed."

Shinji was in shock. "You mean Rei is still fighting?"

"Yeah. Speaking of fighting, what were you thinking?" Asuka asked angrily. "If you had held them off like you were supposed to, we could have won."

Shinji slammed his hand against the bulkhead. "You should have pulled back like I told you too."

"No way! Everyone knows that the best defense is a good offense. You blew it."

"You all blew it," a stern voice spoke from the door. Everyone turned to see Misato walk in with Rei. "That was the worst display of piloting and teamwork I have yet seen."

Asuka was about to protest, but a stiff glare from Misato kept her saying anything. "Follow me," Misato commanded.

Everyone followed Misato into a large conference room. Kaji, Kaoru and Hikari were already there. Misato took a spot up front with Kaji. When everyone was settled, Misato was the first to speak, "Let me say this. What Colonel Kaji and I are about to tell you is classified. You will not speak to anyone about this information. Am I clear?"

When Misato was satisfied with everyone's responses, she continued talking, "Good. Now, the reason I'm pushing you so hard is because the mission we are about to undertake is the most important of the war. Our survival depends on it. Those of you who just arrived from Vega know how important that system's jump gate is. The HI are pouring reinforcements through that jump gate at an increasing rate. We believe that they will have the capacity to completely take the Vega system in a matter of weeks and Earth itself a few months after that. Colonel Kaji can brief you on the specifics."

Kaji touched a button and the Vega system appeared. "As those of you who came from Vega know, there are reinforcements coming in through the jump gate. Intelligence indicates that the HI have set up a jump gate in the Arius Eridani system that can shuttle troops and material to Vega in a matter of hours. Our mission will be to jump in and dismantle it. Now for the specifics…"

Shinji listened as Kaji droned on about the upcoming mission and the Dragons' role as a blocking force. Shinji was a bit apprehensive about the plan. The tactics were all too familiar. A glance around the room revealed that some people, Misato and Touji in particular, seemed to share his anxiety. The 15th Fleet transfers betrayed little emotion.

As the briefing drew to a close, Touji raised his hand. "Excuse me, Colonel, but I was wondering how the fleet intends to take out the forces occupying the gate with only five Dragons."

Kaji paused for a moment as if considering the question before turning to Kaoru. "Mr. Nagisa, can you tell the new pilots about the support they will receive?"

Kaoru got up and started, "The 15th Fleet has been working with a new type of mecha called the Valkyrie. I'm not allowed to discuss details, but I can say that it is a fully autonomous system capable of replacing the Dragon."

Shinji's eye's nearly bugged out. He was surprised to hear that a replacement for the Dragon had already been found and was expecting Asuka or somebody else to make a big deal about Kaoru's revelation, but none of the new D-knights said anything. "Wow," Touji said loudly, "Has it been in combat yet? What are they like?"

Hikari also added, "Will I be allowed to inspect one?"

Kaji chuckled. "It's been in combat before and you'll get a chance to see one soon. As for inspecting one, I'm afraid that won't be possible. But, rest assured that the Valkyrie is the weapon humanity has been hoping for."

Asuka suddenly stiffened in her seat when she heard Kaji's comment about the Valkyrie. As Kaji finished answering Hikari's question, Asuka jumped in. "Excuse me, but I was wondering if Mr. Nagisa can tell us what happened the last time we took the Valkyrie into the combat."

Kaji replied, "I'm afraid that I can't discuss that situation at this time. If there isn't anything else, you're all dismissed until 0800 tomorrow. You'll begin formal training for the mission then."

As Shinji got up to leave, he looked over at Touji and Hikari. He knew they were thinking the same thing he was, 'This doesn't look good.'

* * *

"Um, what do you guys think?" Hikari asked as she stabbed at her salad

After the meeting, Touji pulled Hikari and Shinji aside and asked them to join him in the mess hall for dinner. Hikari agreed readily as did a traditionally reluctant Shinji. "Do you mean the pilots or the mission?" Touji asked while he chomped on his hamburger.

"Both," Hikari clarified.

"Well," Touji responded, "That Asuka girl is a… Well, she's a reckless bitch."

"Rei is pretty good," Shinji offered as he sipped from his tea.

"Yeah," Touji agreed. "I looked up her service record and she has enough medals to open a gift shop. She's the fleet's number two Dragon ace after that Mauser guy."

"How did you find that out?" Shinji inquired. "I tried looking up her record earlier and it's classified."

"That's to be expected," Touji replied. "She and that red-head are members of a new squadron called Eva."

"Eva Squadron? What do you mean?" Hikari asked.

"You don't know about the Eva Squadron? I looked it up using Kensuke's old contacts. They're some kind of elite experimental squadron using psychic powers or something." Touji explained.

Hikari looked at Touji like he was crazy. "Psychic powers? What are you talking about?"

"Something called remote viewing."

"Remote viewing? What's that?" Hikari wondered.

"Remote viewing is the ability to see distant events as they happen in real time," Shinji answered matter-of-factly.

"How did you know that?" Touji asked incredulously.

"My father," Shinji replied softly. "He's worked on that stuff for years."

Hikari asked, "Your father?"

Touji exclaimed, "You mean you don't know!"

Shinji shot him an angry look as people looked in their direction. "I'm sorry, Shinji," Touji said apologetically, "I got carried away. You see, Shinji's father is an admiral. He specializes in black projects – secret stuff."

Hikari shook her head in disbelief. "Is this for real?"

Shinji nodded and said, "Yes. It's all true. When I was in that briefing, there was something familiar about the tactics that Colonel Kaji was proposing. But, now I'm sure of it. My father is behind all of this. His tactics cost people their lives."

"Whoa," Touji called out, "Sure, these mission plans stink – jumping into enemy space and all. But, I'm more concerned with these 'Valkyrie' things. The way Red looked made me feel uneasy." Hikari and Shinji nodded in agreement as Touji continued, "I think we need to talk to our 'fellow' D-Knights to see what happened in the Vega system. Each of us should split up for a couple of hours and meet with each of them. We should talk to that Nagisa guy too, but I don't think we'll get much out of him."

"I'll go see Asuka," Hikari said, "I won't get her mad like you guys."

Touji was a bit flush at Hikari's jib. "Okay. Then, I'll talk with that Mana girl. We'll leave Rei to you, Shinji."

Shinji mumbled, "Uh-huh", as he finished his tea.

"Good," Touji replied, "Let's meet in the bar at say… 1130 tonight to go over what we learned."

* * *

A/N: I don't know if this has been clear up to this point, but HI stands for Heightened Intelligence. They are the alien antagonists of this story and, to a lesser extent, Scrapped Princess.

Until next posting…

Cardinal Light


	6. Bar Room Secrets

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

Yui tracked Rei until she was alone. That part was easy since she spent no time with any one. Around 9 p.m., Yui indicated that she was headed for the ship's racquetball courts alone. Shinji decided to make his move. He tossed on a pair of gym shorts, a white t-shirt, and some tennis shoes. Ship personnel weren't allowed into the recreation areas without proper attire.

Shinji arrived at the courts in time to spot Rei take over a court from a sweaty couple. To Shinji's annoyance, the couple stood outside of the court for several minutes chatting. When the couple finally left, Shinji gathered up his nerve and walked to the court's doorway. He peeked in through the door's window expecting Rei to be engrossed in a game. However, he found Rei standing in the middle of the court. Her arms were crossed and her icy red eyes stared right at him.

'I'm in for it,' Shinji thought as he walked in.

As Shinji closed the door behind him, Rei spoke, "There is something you seek, Lieutenant Ikari."

"Y-Yes, Miss Ayanami," was Shinji's stuttered response.

"Please show me the proper decorum. Call me Captain Ayanami."

Shinji's heart sank. He wasn't going to get much out of this conversation. "Yes, Captain."

"Lieutenant, I can sense that you are troubled. Therefore, you may speak freely."

"Aya-… I mean, Captain, I'm troubled by this operation. This is my father's plan, isn't it?"

"That is correct. Your father planned this operation six months ago."

"There's something wrong with this operation, isn't there? That girl, Asuka. She knows something is wrong. Please, Captain, tell me what's wrong."

Rei shook her head. "I cannot tell you anything. All information regarding the Vega campaign is classified. As your superior officer, I forbid you from inquiring further. The other pilots are under orders not to talk. Please, think about the mission ahead. If that is all, I bid you a good evening."

Shinji turned to walk away, but he stopped for a moment as he remembered his dream. "Captain?"

"Yes?"

"Have we met before? I remember you from somewhere."

Rei took a while to respond. Shinji had struck a chord. "Perhaps we have, Lieutenant Ikari."

Shinji's spirits rose when he heard this. "Really? Where?"

Rei responded curtly, "Please leave."

Shinji reluctantly did what he was told.

* * *

Shinji arrived at the bar a little early. The bar was packed with a large number of patrons, but Shinji managed to find a lonely booth in the far corner. A waitress arrived to take his order. Shinji asked for orange juice. He didn't feel like drinking alcohol.

The waitress returned just as Shinji spotted Touji and Hikari entering the bar together. He waved until they spotted him. As the couple approached, Touji said, "I'm glad you found a private place for us, Shinji."

"I feel like one of those spies depicted in 20th century movies," Hikari commented.

Shinji pointed to his juice and said, "You guys want something?"

The both shook their heads. "No," Touji answered, "I'd prefer we get our business done now with since we have a busy day ahead of us. Now, who wants to start?"

Shinji was the first to speak. "I will. I caught up with Ayanami a couple of hours after we met in the mess hall. She's a real 'by the book' person. She refused to tell me anything, except that my father is in command."

"Hmmm," Touji intoned. "That means this operation was planned by your father. At least you were able to confirm that. In my case, I talked with Mana. She was more open with her information. She didn't get a chance to see what happened to the Valkyries because she was held in reserved for the first part of the Vega operation. She also said that the present operation isn't set to begin for at least another three days. She said that we're waiting for a new shipment of Valkyries from Earth. What did you find out Hikari?"

Hikari pursed her lips as she said, "I found Asuka in the bar. She was hitting the beer pretty hard…"

"Did you find anything out?" Touji asked.

"I hate taking advantage of people when they're not doing well. But, she did say some things that may interest you."

"Go on," Touji said.

"She told me that she was fighting the HI around the principle jump point in the Vega system with these Valkyries when the they froze. They refused to move and Admiral Ikari was forced to commit all of his Dragon and Gigas units to the fight. But, the HI brought up reinforcements through the gate and nearly overwhelmed the 15th Fleet."

"Did she say why they froze?" Shinji asked.

Hikari shook her head. "No, she said she wasn't sure why. She said that Kaoru Nagisa and a Dr. Akagi were looking at the Valkyrie's AI system to see what went wrong, but they hadn't found anything out."

Shinji was about to comment when he thought he spotted a familiar mop of grayish hair. When he looked again, the mop was gone. "You all right, Shinji? Did you see something?" Touji asked

"I thought I saw that Nagisa guy," Shinji explained, "But, I guess I'm just seeing things."

"Yeah, you that must be some _strong_ juice you got there," Touji joked.

"Stop it," Shinji said forcefully, "I'm not drunk."

Touji grinned as he got up from the booth. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. See you guys tomorrow at 0800 in the training sims."

Hikari followed Touji's example and also left the bar. Shinji was alone as he finished his orange juice. Just as Shinji was ready to pay and leave he heard Kaoru's voice call to him, "You D-Knights really are a curious bunch, Lieutenant Ikari."

Shinji swallowed hard. "These are our lives you're taking about, Mr. Nagisa."

"Please, call me Kaoru. I've never really been much for military decorum, Lieutenant. May I sit?"

Shinji motioned for Kaoru to sit at the booth. "Yes, you may. And, call me Shinji."

Kaoru chuckled as he sat down. "I see that you dislike the military decorum as well. Then, that will make it easier to talk to you."

"So you dislike the military, Kaoru?"

"Let's just say the military is a part of my career. I'm a computer programmer, you see. I work for the good Dr. Akagi."

"Dr. Akagi?"

"She does all of the science for your father's projects. I can tell you that this Valkyrie project has been on the drawing for years. Your father really believes in the Valkyries. He thinks they're going to be the salvation of mankind."

"What kind of salvation is this Valkyrie if it doesn't work?"

Kaoru didn't answer the question. He only smiled. Shinji got up from the booth and reached into his pocket. He pulled out some credit chips to pay for his juice and tossed them down on the table. The credit chips landed with a metallic clang.

* * *

Shinji's first look at the vaunted Valkyrie mecha was in one of Misato's programs. They were as powerful as Colonel Kaji and Kaoru had claimed. Misato told the pilots that best way to learn about the Valkyrie was to fight one. So, there he was, fighting one of the red monstrosities.

He jinxed and brought his Dragon around for a clear shot. But, the Valkyrie was faster. The flak it put up wasn't accurate and it didn't need to be. All the Valkyrie had to do was prevent Shinji from getting a shot off. "Yui!" Shinji called for his Dragon, "Fire a laser burst, full spread!"

Shinji knew that there was a low probability that he would hit the Valkyrie, but he needed to buy himself some time. The Valkyrie dodged the laser burst, curled its 'wings', and activated a strange looking force field. Shinji dodged the force field and move in quickly. He activated his saber dispatched the Valkyrie with a swing. The Valkyrie dissolved away.

Shinji closed his eyes and removed head set. The machinery around him died away and the lights inside the simulator brighten. A voice over the radio commanded, "Lieutenant Ikari, please exit the simulator." Shinji did as he was told.

As he exited, he was surprised to see Misato waiting for him. She was beaming. "Lieutenant Ikari," she began, "You are the only pilot to beat these Valkyries in the simulator. If you don't mind, I'd like you to debrief the entire Dragon squadron this afternoon…" Misato trailed off as she stared at the Shinji. 'He's not himself,' she thought. "Is there something wrong Lieutenant?"

"Well…" Shinji thought about the night before and his encounter with the strange Kaoru Nagisa. "Colonel, I was wondering. Just kind of machines are these Valkyries are."

"They are the most advanced weapon we have…"

Shinji ask, "No, I mean can they be trusted?" Shinji had chosen his words carefully. He didn't want Misato to know that he had been prying into the secretive results of the recent Vega campaign.

"According to the developers, it is an utterly reliable machine. It'll get the job done."

"I see," was all Shinji could muster. He turned his eyes away from Misato, not wanting to reveal his knowledge to her.

Misato pursed her lips and stared down at Shinji. Something was wrong and she knew it.

* * *

"I apologize for being late," Kaoru said as he walked into the conference room. The mood of the room was cool. Misato and Kaji were already there. Kaoru took the seat nearest to the door and looked at the two officers, trying to read their thoughts.

Misato was the first to speak, "Mr. Nagisa, I understand that you have been in communication with Dr. Akagi concerning the _glitch_. Is this correct?"

Kaoru put on his best poker face. He didn't want to betray any telling emotion. "That is correct, Colonel Katsuragi. I have communicated with Dr. Akagi on this matter. In fact, I will be returning to the Concordia this afternoon to consult on this matter. I am told that a new version of the AI software will be uploaded onto the Valkyries we have on hand. The Valkyries we're getting from Earth already has this software. It should fix the glitch."

Misato nodded thoughtfully. "Uh-huh. And, what was the nature of this glitch?"

"I'm afraid that I can not discuss that matter."

Misato looked over at Kaji before turning back to Kaoru, "I'm a Colonel of the TDF and a member of Admiral Ikari's staff. I order you to tell me about the nature of this glitch."

Kaoru smiled. "You can't pull rank on me, Colonel. I'm a civilian contractor for the TDF and I answer only to my superior, Dr. Akagi. As for you being a member of Ikari's staff, it is my understanding that it is only a temporary appointment. Now, if that's all, I will leave now."

Kaoru got up and left the room. The doors closed in behind him. Misato sighed.

"I told you it was hopless, Katsuragi. He's only here to make sure you behave yourself."

Misato laughed. "And, I could have said the same thing about you, Kaji."

"Indeed."

"I've talked with my D-Knights and mecha engineer today and they all seemed a little out of it. Now, if I know those three, they've been probing these Valkyrie machines of yours."

"I can assure you that our D-Knights were ordered not to discuss the Vega operation. However, with the way things are going in this war, even orders are far from certain."

Misato agreed, "Yeah, even if one of your D-Knights did talk, you can't lock her up just because she slipped. We need those kids."

The two colonels got up from their seats and headed for the door. "I'm headed over to the Concordia as well, Katsuragi. Admiral Ikari wants a report about you."

Misato shot Kaji a dirty look. Kaji lifted his hands in defense. "Don't worry. I won't tell him anything bad. In fact, while I'm there I'll try and pick up some information about the glitch. Deal?"

"I suppose that's the best you can do," Misato answered. Laughter filled the corridor as Kaoru stepped out from the shadows of an adjacent corridor and watched the two colonels walk away.


	7. Hand of Conspiracy

A/N: Writer's block and school can be a toxic combination. Here are the next two chapters. I'm already hard at work putting together the climax to this story and my goal is to publish the next few chapters soon (i.e., next month or so).

On another note, I acknowledge that Mana and several other characters may be OOC. Prior characterizations can sometimes be a hindrance to plot advancement, but I make every effort to retain as much of the original characterization as possible.

With my ranting complete here is the next installment of WADF.

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

Ikari perused through several documents as Kaji took a seat in front of him. A long moment of silence passed before Ikari asked, "How was your stay on the Vanguard, Colonel?"

"It's been excellent. Colonel Katsuragi knows how to treat her guests." Kaji wanted to remain as neutral as possible. He didn't want Ikari to get suspicious and think that he had shared sensitive information with Misato.

Ikari picked up another document and scanned through it. "How have the D-Knights from my fleet integrated themselves with the Vanguard complement?"

"They've gotten along fine. Captain Soryu doesn't get along with one of their pilots though. A certain Lieutenant Ikari…" Kaji observed Ikari to see if he had any reaction to the mention of his son, but Ikari continued studying the papers in front of him. "He's a fine D-Knight. It's a shame that he's been relegated to patrolling backwater worlds."

"We all get our time, Colonel. Now, has their training proceeded well?"

"Yes. Colonel Katsuragi is an excellent trainer. She has those D-Knights flying eight to twelve hours a day in the training sim. She's expressed concern that the D-Knights don't have enough flight time in actual space conditions. She asked me to request an opportunity to train with actual Valkyries."

Ikari stroked his chin slightly as he considered this. "Tell the Colonel that her request is denied. If she wants to train the D-Knights in space, they'll have to train amongst themselves. By the way…" Ikari tossed a data crystal at Kaji. Kaji barely had enough time to react as he caught it in mid-air. "Deliver that to Colonel Katsuragi. Those are my official orders for Operation Hope. We will commence this evening."

A beeping sound disrupted the meeting momentarily. Ikari pressed a button on his desk and asked curtly, "Yes?"

A male voice reported, "Sir, we have multiple contacts coming out of the jump gate. It looks like three large transports and several accompanying escorts. Their registry codes confirm that they are the Valkyrie transports we've been waiting for."

"Hail them," Ikari commanded, "and have them come along side so that we may off load their cargo."

"Aye, sir."

Ikari turned back to Kaji. "Now, about that Mauser reading you promised me…"

Kaji placed the data crystal in his pocket, and then produced another data crystal of his own. "I received the reading this morning. Here is a duplicate I made of the transmission. I really think that you should read it."

Ikari extended his hand and Kaji reached out and placed the data crystal in his palm. Ikari examined it before placing it in a shredder. Kaji winced as he heard the crystal's crunching sound. "Just give me a verbal report, Colonel. Nothing more."

"Ah, yes sir. Mauser reported that the jump gate itself isn't heavily defended, but that a large fleet jumped in system a few days ago. Intelligence believes that the HI are building up their forces for their final push to take Vega. Mauser's reading indicated that the size of the fleet is about equal to the forces you currently have under your command. The bulk of this fleet has taken up stationary orbit around the main planet in the Arius Eridani system, but that could change."

"Change in what way?"

"Mauser indicated that the fleet could set sail at any time. Sir, perhaps it would be better to gather our forces at Vega and meet the expected HI attack."

"Negative, Colonel. We still have the advantage of surprise and the power of our Valkyries. I order you not speak to anyone about this matter and to destroy any documentation you have of this Mauser reading. Is that understood?"

Kaji felt his insides clench as he responded, "Yes, sir. Understood."

* * *

Kaoru scanned through the AI software for the new Valkyries. He typed in several commands and began uploading the new version of the AI software onto the Concordia's complement of existing Valkyries. As near as Kaoru could tell, the new AI software wasn't any different from the old one. Some minor security holes had been patched up and the code was cleaned up a little, but that was about it.

With a few strokes of his keyboard, Kaoru disabled the keystroke monitoring software. He stopped the upload for a moment and inserted a few lines of his own code and then continued the upload. He directed the updated software to be uploaded onto all of the Valkyries, not just the Concordia's complement.

Kaoru turned around when he heard footsteps behind him. He was relieved to see it was just Chief Ellison, one of Ritsuko's technicians. "How you doin' Mr. Nagisa?" The chief asked with a slight drawl.

Kaoru couldn't stand the unsavory chief and found his coding skills to be crude. Kaoru managed a tolerant smile and greeted the chief, "Hello, Chief Ellison. Is your work going well?"

"You know how things are around here. The Doc works us to death. And yourself? I hear you're working with the D-Knights on the Vanguard."

"Yes," Kaoru replied.

"Oh, really? Well, I envy you, you know. Those three are mighty pretty ladies."

Kaoru knew that the chief had an unhealthy attraction to the Concordia's complement of D-Knights. The chief was reputed to have propositioned them on several occasions. Kaoru glanced at his watch and told the chief, "I would really like to chat, but I have an appointment to keep. If you'll excuse me…"

The chief nodded. Kaoru got up and prepared to leave when the chief called to him, "Mr. Nagisa, you remember that analysis the Doc asked you to run last week after the Vega campaign?"

Kaoru stopped in his tracks and cursed himself. He had run an analysis of the Vega campaign on his own without Ritsuko's permission. Ritsuko had refused to listen to Kaoru's theory about HI interference in the Valkyrie neural processor; she insisted that it was a software problem related to the neural processors. The chief had caught him running the analysis, so Kaoru told him that Ritsuko had instructed him to do it. "Yes? What about that analysis?"

"I was cleaning up some of the computer's data files and I found a copy of it on the hard drive. I transferred it to a data crystal before I deleted it." The chief handed a red data crystal to Kaoru.

Kaoru accepted the crystal gratefully while cursing himself for his carelessness. "Ah, thank you. I need to show Dr. Akagi the results. Listen, make sure not to touch my workstation. I'm uploading the AI software for the Valkyries. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"Don't worry, Mr. Nagisa," the chief replied, "I won't."

Kaoru was relieved that he had been able to dupe the chief into not pursing the matter about the analysis. He excused himself and picked up a portable data crystal reader. As Kaoru walked away, he failed to notice the shadows behind him stir.

* * *

"Chief Ellison?"

The chief turned to see who had called for him and found himself staring at Ikari. The chief straightened up and said, "Sir!"

"I'm looking for Mr. Nagisa. Dr. Akagi said that he could be found here."

"Sir, Mr. Nagisa does work here, but he left a little while ago."

Ikari nodded and placed a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I heard that he ran an analysis on the Vega campaign for Dr. Akagi. Could you find that file for me?"

"Sir, I deleted that file some time ago."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes…"

Ikari glared at the chief and said coldly, "Chief Ellison, I asked if you were certain."

The chief knew that tone too well. "I'll check."

With the chief's back turned, he failed to notice Ikari pull a gun from the folds of his tunic.

"It's just like I said, sir," the chief said, "I can't find it…" Ikari pulled the trigger and the chief stumbled lifeless to the floor.

After taking a look at the Chief to make sure he was dead, Ikari walked out of the room and down the hall toward the cargo bays.

* * *

Kaoru passed the Valkyrie bays and down to a lonely cargo bay. After checking to make sure no one was around, he sat down on a crate and read through the data on the data crystal. Before he could get far into his task, Kaoru heard the cargo bay doors open to reveal a cold presence. Ikari stepped into the room.

"If it isn't my 'real' benefactor," Kaoru remarked, "I trust that you are well?"

"As well as any person in my position can be. Tell me, do my subordinates suspect something?"

"I think that Colonel Kaji has been collaborating with Colonel Katsuragi. They don't trust you. And your son, he's very clever. He knows that the Valkyries suffer from some kind of fault."

"My son is irrelevant. As for trust in me, I only need Kaji and Katsuragi to follow my orders. Now, did you run the analysis of the Vega campaign as promised?"

"I did." Karou held up his data crystal to emphasize his point. "It's right here. I was just about to go over it again to make sure I didn't get anything wrong."

"Does Dr. Akagi know about this?"

"No, but one of her technicians, a Chief Ellison, caught me. I told him Dr. Akagi ordered me to run the analysis. I doubt he'll question the incident further. He always assumes that all of my orders come directly from Dr. Akagi any way."

Ikari began circling about the room. His pacing made Kaoru a little nervous. But, this was one of Ikari's ways of telling others that he was in control. "That's not like you, Mr. Nagisa, getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar. What did your analysis reveal? Answer carefully, because my next action as commander of this fleet will be determined by your answer."

Kaoru placed the reader on the floor next to him and leaned back against a crate. "It was as you first said. Dr. Akagi refused to listen to any talk of HI interference. She is very proud of those machines. It perplexes me because she wasn't the one who built them." Kaoru watched Ikari as he stopped before a crate and leaned down to inspect it. He placed his hand in his pocket and removed something to scan the crate before placing it back in his pocket. Ikari continued pacing with his hand in his pocket.

"You stopped talking, Mr. Nagisa," Ikari said as he stopped in front of another crate.

"Yes, well I ran the analysis as you instructed. I looked for patterns in the HI movement and communications and I found something. Just before the Valkyries stopped functioning, the HI sent out a coded transmission. It wasn't targeted at the Valkyries, but at their ships. I think they were about to pull back. I analyzed the transmission and I found that it was transmitted on a frequency that can excite the neural processors. Once in this excited mode, the Valkyries can't move. They're… confused if you will. It's not a software problem and there isn't anything wrong with the neural processors. The designers didn't foresee that this problem occurs at a fundamental level. We don't fully understand the HI's method of communication."

"So, you're certain it will happen again?"

"I believe so."

Ikari looked down at his shoes as he considered this new threat to his operation. "Then, did you do as I instructed?"

Kaoru nodded. "Yes, I inserted a line of code which will cause the Valkyries to self-destruct if this happens again."

Ikari smiled calmly at Kaoru. "Good, then I have no more use for you." A shot reverberated through the walls of the cargo bay. Ikari walked over to Kaoru's limp body and picked up the data crystal and its reader. He placed it in his pocket and removed a gun from his pocket. Ikari was careful to place the gun next to Kaoru Nagisa's hand. With this matter taken care of, Ikari walked away.

When we has some distance away he tapped his personal wrist communicator.

"Bridge," answered a female voice.

"This is Ikari. Get a security team to Dr. Akagi's lab immediately. And, find me Dr. Akagi."

"Yes, sir."


	8. Calm Before the Storm

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

Ritsuko and Kaji paced the bloody scene in the cargo bay. Security teams dispatched to find Kaoru alive instead found him dead. "What are you thinking about, Ritsuko?" Kaji asked. He could see that she was lost in thought.

"I just lost my two best technicians and I don't know why," she answered evenly.

"Did they get along?"

Ritsuko stopped a few feet from the body. Several security officers took pictures of the scene. "I know Kaoru didn't really like Chief Ellison, but I can't imagine him murdering."

Kaji bent down to examine the gun in Kaoru's hand. "Hmmm, it looks like a standard military issue… Maybe I should look into this matter."

"Kaji," Ritsuko said pensively, "I don't think this is worth your time."

"Colonel Kaji?"

Kaji and Ritsuko turned to seen a young lieutenant standing in front of them. The lieutenant saluted. "Sir, I have some additional orders from Admiral Ikari."

Kaji sighed. He got up from the ground and walked over to confer with the lieutenant. As Kaji read his new orders, Ritsuko reached down to touch the gun. It seemed familiar to her some how; reminding her of those times when she slept with Ikari. After their lovemaking, she let him drift off to sleep while she stayed awake and smoked.

She remembered staring at Ikari's uniform, unceremoniously dumped on a chair near his bed – their bed. Even in that piled mess there was order. His holster was always the last thing he put down. It was like he didn't trust her until the moment their kissing forms became one. When he let down his holster, he let down all his defenses. She always resisted the urge to peek at the gun in the holster, but one time…

"Ritsuko?"

Ritsuko stopped when she heard Kaji's voice and she realized that she had been touching the gun. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I guess was lost in thought."

"I can't spend any more time with you. Ikari ordered me to return to the Vanguard. It looks like Operation Hope is set to begin soon."

Ritsuko nodded softly.

"You all right, Ritsuko? You look pale. Maybe you should rest…"

"No Kaji, I'm fine. Besides, I still have to run more simulations on Valkyries."

Kaji was concerned, but there wasn't much he could do for Ritsuko. "Ikari ordered me to retrieve a replacement technician for you."

"Oh, really?" Ritsuko asked, "Where do you plan to find one?"

"Actually, the Vanguard has a very talented individual on board, but I think Misato will flip when she sees this order."

Ritsuko was intrigued. At least she didn't have to work on the Valkyries alone. "Who is this person?"

* * *

"NO! I refuse this order!" Misato stared angrily at Kaji. "I need Maya. She knows her job and if Ikari is sending us to Hell, then I'd like Maya to be there with the ship." 

Kaji grimaced slightly has he sipped his hot coffee. 'I haven't seen Katsuragi this angry in years,' Kaji thought as he cleared his throat. "Katsuragi, I know that you're not happy with…"

"No, shit I'm not happy Kaji and I'll tell you why. That _man_ comes in and takes my ship and her escorts in like it's nothing. He gives me a bunch of unready pilots and expects me to bring them up to speed. Now, he wants my exec because Ritsuko needs her? She has that Nagisa kid, she doesn't need anyone else."

Kaji pursed his lips. Up to this point, he hadn't told her about the death of Kaoru and the chief. 'I guess it can't be helped,' he thought. "Her technicians are dead."

Misato looked at him like he was crazy. "What happened?"

"They found Kaoru's body in one of the cargo bays this morning. It looks like suicide. Apparently, he may have had a disagreement with one of Ritsuko's technicians, Chief Ellison, and shot him, then turned the gun on himself. Ritsuko doesn't have anymore technicians. Kaoru and the Chief Ellison were the only technicians to survive the Vega campaign. Maya Ibuki is the only person in the fleet with the technical skills necessary to help Dr. Akagi prepare the Valkyries for combat. If it's any consolation, I'm to remain on board for the duration of the operation to act as your executive officer. My navigation skills might be a little rusty…"

"Christ…" Misato cursed. "Isn't there anything on this mission that'll go right?"

Kaji leaned forward and whispered, "You haven't heard anything yet."

Misato's eyes narrowed. "Tell me."

* * *

Maya knocked on the door label R. Akagi, Ph.D. She was surprised that the eminent bio-cyberneticist was actually here with the fleet. While studying computer science on her old colony Dr. Akagi's text on genetic computing was required reading of all students. In a way, Maya was actually excited to be working for Dr. Akagi. However, Maya knew that the fleet was going into battle and she was disappointed not to be with her ship mates, Makoto Hyuga and Shigeru Aoba. Funny enough, she even missed the aloof Misato Katsuragi, whom she held in high esteem.

Maya prepared to knock at the door again when it opened to reveal a slightly flustered blonde-haired woman. Maya stood at attention. "Dr. Akagi, ma'am? I've been order to report to you."

"Are you Maya Ibuki?" Ritsuko asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes. I was told that…"

Ritsuko gestured for Maya to come into her office. "That's all right. I already knew you were coming. You'll have to forgive the mess…"

Maya did her best to walk over errant circuit boards and wiring. Ritsuko indicated that Maya take a seat, so she did. "I understand that you are very familiar with computational work." Ritsuko stated as she plopped down into a chair behind her desk.

"That's right. I've done a lot of scientific computing with an emphasis on genetic algorithms."

Ritsuko hummed softly as she took a few notes. "Then, do you have any experience with AI programming?"

"Well, I've done some work with advanced neural networks. I heard the programming methods are very similar."

"They are. There are a few minor differences, but I can fill in the knowledge gaps. I'm impressed with your background. Where did you attend school?"

"I was a semester shy of graduating with my bachelor's in computer science from the Turing Institute."

Ritsuko's eyes widened. "The Turing Institute? Isn't that on…"

"Arius Eridani," Maya finished Ritsuko's sentence. "I couldn't graduate because the HI conquered the system first."

Ritsuko's eyes widened, "Maya,there's something you need to know about this mission."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"We're going to Arius Eridani. This fleet going to raid the primary jump gate in the Arius Eridani system. Does that change you're mind about working with me? If you want…"

Maya replied firmly, "I'm here because I feel that I can contribute the most here."

* * *

"What's a matter Shinji?" Touji asked in between sips of his drink.

"Huh?" Shinji mumbled as he shook himself out of his stupor. "Did you say something?"

"I was wondering if you heard about Lieutenant Ibuki."

"Oh," Shinji said. "No, what happened?"

"Well, I heard she got transferred to the Concordia. Can you imagine that?"

Shinji wasn't surprised to hear this. With his father in command, anything was possible. "Who's the new exec?"

"It's that Colonel Kaji." Touji replied. "I think Red has a crush…"

Touji's discussion about Asuka's love life was cut short by a whistling sound followed by Misato's voice, "Now hear this. Stand by for an announcement by Admiral Ikari…"

"The devil shows himself," Shinji whispered as he finished his drink. Around the two D-Knights, the bar became silent as people listened.

"Soldiers of the Terran Defense Forces," Ikari's voice boomed, "I am proud to be able to speak to you today. I am not here to tell you about the bitter battle being waged for our survival. Today I am here to tell about a new weapon – _the_ weapon that will change the course of history. For an entire year my fleet has tested this weapon in battle and we have been victorious in every engagement. It goes by the name of Valkyrie and it is the ultimate weapon. Just last week, the Valkyrie was a key participant in the astounding victory won by our forces in the Vega system. Headquarters has decided that now is the time to 'seize the day'. In a few minutes, I will give the order to jump into hyperspace. Our destination is the HI jump gate in the Arius Eridani system."

Shinji and Touji glanced around the room. There was a charge in the air. On a number of faces they could make out happiness. These soldiers were proud to be chosen to strike at the enemy.

"Soldiers! Each and every one of you has a part in this endeavor. Do your jobs well and you will come home victors. Imagine if you can tell your children: 'I was there with Admiral Ikari when we finally defeated the HI.' Come with me and I will show you true victory!"

The patrons of the bar cheered. Ikari had worked them into a frenzy. No one noticed that Shiji and Touji stayed out of the festivities. The D-Knights were the only ones in the bar who knew that not all was as it seemed.

Over the celebratory din, Shinji could make out Misato's voice, "All D-Knights report to the simulators immediately. I repeat…"

"Oh man, this is pain," Touji moaned.

Shinji said nothing.

* * *

"Are you sure about this Katsuragi?" Kaji asked in a low voice as he looked over the simulation program Misato had put together herself based on Kaji's information.

Misato didn't answer his question. "Have you plotted a course for Arius Eridani?"

Kaji nodded.

"Good, then program the auto pilot system."

Kaji did as he was told. With the push of a few buttons, the auto pilot was ready and reading normally. "You didn't answer my question, Katsuragi," Kaji whispered.

"Colonel Kaji, can I speak with you in private?" Misato walked just out earshot of the bridge crew with Kaji in tow. When they stopped, Kaji looked into Misato's eyes and saw them on fire. It was a subtle kind of fire – the kind only encountered by friends and lovers.

"Kaji, I've rarely been this sure about anything," she told him.

"And if Ikari finds out?"

Misato's voice became ice. "Let him find out. I have a ship to protect."

* * *

Shinji sat in the simulator. It was late and he was tired, but duty compelled him to be there. A voice broke the silence of the simulator. It was Misato. "I'm sorry to call you out so late, but your performance as a team needs some work."

Shinji could practically hear Touji groan at this statement. The five D-Knights had practiced for several days with some significant improvement. Misato had learned that putting Asuka in reserve was a bad idea. She was always itching for a fight. "Folks, with the attack on Arius Eridani forty-eight hours away, we need to get in as much preparation as possible. I have devised a program to challenge your skills as pilots and as a team. Let's call this one program 31."

'31, eh?' Shinji thought, 'A prime number. Misato only uses prime number identifiers if the situation is special.'

Misato continued, "I'm going to walk you through this one before we start." A map appeared in front of Shinji. It showed the Vanguard and her escorts in yellow, the 15th Fleet in blue, and the HI in red. The jump gate and its surrounding facilities were in green. "The fleet jumps in system as shown. There is a large HI presence around the jump gate and an HI force of indeterminate size coming from the principle colony."

What Shinji saw on the screen scared him. The entire fleet was wedged in between two large HI forces. "Colonel Katsuragi," Shinji heard Rei say over his headset, "What is the plan?"

"Good question, Rei. At this point, I don't have a definite plan. However, I thought that we would begin the simulation by committing our Dragon force to an assault on the jump gate facilities while keeping our Gigas force in reserve. Rei, I want you to command…"

"WHAT!" Asuka screamed over the headset, "Why her?"

Misato replied in a serious tone, "You have problem with that? If you want to fly, don't question my orders."

"Yes, ma'am."

"All right, let the program begin."

The world around Shinji became black. He was inside the Dragon cockpit and he needed battle data – fast. "Yui, report."

"We have exited hyperspace in formation. A large HI force is approaching from the colony. Our lead ships are currently under heavy fire."

Shinji heard Touji whistle. "The Colonel doesn't mess around, does she?"

"Suzuhara," Rei called out, "Take point with Soryu and Kirishima in support. Ikari and I will be in reserve."

"Let's go, Red," Touji said. Shinji could hear Mana acknowledge the order.

"I'll show you how a real D-Knight flies!" Asuka retorted as she and Touji gunned their Dragons forward with Mana in tow.

Shinji followed the lead trio as closely as he could. He watched as several ships from the Vanguard's complement moved in to support the Dragons' assault on the jump gate. Several HI ships were dispatched by Touji and Mana while Asuka moved off to their right to take on several oncoming ships.

"Ikari," Rei's voice called to him, "We need to break formation and join those destroyers. We're going to try and flank the enemy.

Shinji did as he was told and broke formation. He moved in next to the Chicago as it tangled with an HI ship. A quick swipe with his saber gave the Chicago an opportunity to finish the ship off. Shinji moved past the dying ship and dived in to attack another.

* * *

"Damn, it!" Commodore Fuyutsuki screamed at his communications officer, "I thought I ordered a complete radio blackout."

"S-Sir," the young officer stammered, "the reconnaissance flight ran into an HI squadron by accident. They didn't think the HI would operate so close to our forces."

"That's because the HI aren't supposed to know we're here." Fuyutsuki retorted. Fuyutsuki knew he was being unusually angry with the young man. It wasn't his fault. The operation had been delayed long enough for Ikari to get his reinforcements. However, that placed the Vega assault forces at risk of being spotted by the HI.

Fuyutsuki wanted to reassure his bridge crew. They needed orders. "It's all right, Lieutenant," Fuyutsuki reassured his communications officer, "I was afraid something like this would happen."

"Your orders, sir?"

Fuyutsuki called for his navigation officer, "Major Rosen, how long until Admiral Ikari's forces reach Arius Eridani?"

"Fourteen hours."

"And, how long until the HI call for reinforcements?"

"Well," Rosen replied, "I'd estimate it would take about 12 hours for any message to reach Arius Eridani."

'If I attack now I still have the element of surprise,' Fuyutsuki thought. 'Either way, Ikari's cover will probably be blown.'

Fuyutsuki had not choice left. "Very well. Order all forces to being the assault. Have Captain Mauser sortie with his squadron."


	9. Approaching Conflict

A/N: It looks like the Muse has struck again. Based upon the amount of work I've done to the story this past week it looks like I'll be able to complete this story sometime in the next month or so.

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

Maya rubbed her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time. Ritsuko hadn't been kidding when she remarked that the Valkyrie preparation would take up most of their transit time. Maya smelled the rich aroma of fresh coffee as Ritsuko appeared with two fresh cups.

"You look tired, Maya. Want some?" Ritsuko extended her hand out as she offered Maya a cup.

Maya took the cup gratefully. She drank slowly, allowing herself time to savor the taste of the bittersweet drink. She watched as Ritsuko scrolled through data quicker than anyone she had ever seen. Maya had heard of Ritsuko's talent for programming, but the rumors made the reality no less impressive.

"Maya?"

Maya jumped, slightly startled by the mention of her name. "Ma'am?"

"I just wanted to commend you on your work. I'm impressed by your abilities. Your professors taught you well."

Maya was a bit surprised by Ritsuko's comment. "I- I'm not sure what…"

"To say," Ritsuko finished Maya's sentence. "It's all right. It's been a long time since I've seen this kind of talent. Tell me, would you like to return to Earth and finish your studies? Maybe even do your doctorate…"

"I don't know. I signed up because I didn't have anywhere else to go when Arius Eridani fell."

"It's all right," Ritsuko said. "Let me know. I can make it happen."

Maya was about to reply when a chime sounded from her computer.

"What is it?" Ritsuko asked curiously.

"I ran a computer program to analyze the code currently installed on Valkyries and it looks like it found something…"

Ritsuko didn't allow Maya to finish. She walked over and glanced at the younger woman's screen. Ritsuko's eyes widen at the sight. "What is this?"

"Well," Maya replied, "the code appears to have been changed recently. Whoever did it covered their tracks well. It's almost like…"

'I wasn't supposed to find this,' Ritsuko thought as she glanced at the code in question.

"Maya?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I have new instructions for you. And, don't say anything about this. I'm going to look into this matter myself."

* * *

Misato yawned as she cursed whoever was at her door. She was prepared to sleep for a few hours before the operation began. She opened the door and found Kaji standing nervously on the other side. The silence between the two lovers was thick. Neither was unsure of what to say.

"Kaji," Misato finally managed to say. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kaji replied, "There's something I needed to tell you."

"Did one of the mainframes break down again? Really, I…"

Kaji shook his head. "No, something else." Kaji took Misato's hand in his and gently placed something in it. "Katsuragi, I found this after you left."

Misato looked down and saw her old white cross. She had looked for it for years without success. "Kaji, I… Thank you," Misato managed to express her gratitude.

"Katsuragi, I promise you on this cross that if we survive I will ask you what I've been afraid to ask."

Misato took on a haughty air, "Really, this is so sudden."

"We're not quite there yet," Kaji reminded Misato.

Misato laughed. "I feel like those kids in the simulators. You should have seen them the first time they fought."

Kaji smiled. "I think we're going to make it, somehow."

* * *

Shinji's young hands patted the cool sand. Other children ran past his sand box without a care. Shinji cherished the pile of sand that was his castle. In his young mind he imagined himself to be the king who ruled the land. By his side was his queen, a lady of beauty and steadfast resilience. Her smile made him feel warm and her hair shined like moonlight.

Lost in his fantasy, Shinji failed to notice another child playing nearby with a stick. He was a jealous child who was inflamed with each pat of the sand. The child snapped and stomped over to the sand box. Shinji wailed as the child kicked the sand pile in. Annoyed with Shinji's crying, he rammed his stick into Shinji's chest for his troubles.

"SHINJI!"

Shinji screamed as he bolted up from his bed. He was still exhausted from all of the training. In this hazy exhaustion, he noticed Yui standing at the foot of his bed. She looked worried.

"What's wrong, Yui?" Shinji finally inquired.

"I was concerned. You're heart rate, perspiration, and breathing increased."

"I had a bad dream," Shinji explained. "I always have bad dreams."

"I see," Yui acknowledged his explanation.

Shinji glanced at the time. It still about three hours before the operation began. He needed to be at the Vanguard's hanger bay in two hours, so he figured that there was no need to sleep anymore.

* * *

"I can't raise them, sir!"

"Keep trying," Fuyutsuki ordered his communications officer. "And, give me a report."

"Sir," Major Rosen responded crisply, "the Coventry and her battle group report heavy fighting in their sector and request immediate assistance. Captain Mauser's squadron is holding their own and expects to capture their objective within the hour…"

"Sir," the communications officer interrupted, "the Coventry reports that a complete collapse is imminent. They request authorization to use the Valkyrie."

Fuyutsuki frowned. He wanted hold the Valkyrie in reserve, but if the situation was this dire… "Tell the Coventry they are authorized to use the Valkyries. And, keep trying to raise Admiral Ikari."

Fuyutsuki watched as all around his ship, large red machines appeared and unfurled their wings. They looked defiant and angry. The battlefield exploded anew with deadly light.

* * *

Touji yawned and stretched as he entered the Vanguard's hanger bay. Mechanics rushed past him with tools in hand. The rows of Gigas mechas towered about the hanger bay like giant trees. It was a busy sight.

"Touji," a diminutive voice called for his attention, "I believe that the other D-Knights are over that way."

"Oh, thanks Gloria," Touji replied. He looked in the direction his Dragon had noted and glimpsed a familiar mop of red hair. As he approached, he noticed that Asuka was not alone. The other D-Knights were already there clustered around Misato; even Shinji.

"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Suzuhara," Misato teased.

Asuka jabbed him playfully. "I thought the war was going to end before you showed up."

"Stop it," Misato said. She held out a data pad for Touji to review. "Here, these are the plans for the attack. Now that you're all here, I can review them with you."

Touji bent down so that Gloria could get a better look at the details.

"You can see," Misato continued, "That you will sortie in an hour as the fleet exits hyperspace. The 15th Fleet will act as a blocking force for our combat group as we move in and take out the facilities surrounding the principle jump gate. We need to hit them with all the firepower we have. That's why I'm committing all of the Dragons to the fight. The Gigas will act as our operational reserve and provide fleet defense. Ayanami, Soryu, and Kirishima will move in first to engage the HI ships defending the facilities. Make as much trouble as you can. We need you to keep the HI are busy while Ikari and Suzuhara escort the Chicago and Exeter to the battle site. Those ships will make the hit against the facilities. When that's done they'll begin dropping mines. When you return you will provide fleet defense. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I got one," Touji said as Misato finished. "What happens if we have to use the jump gate to leave the system?"

"That's a chance we'll have to take," Misato answered.

There was a chill in the air as the D-Knights sat in silence. Touji didn't have to say it; they all knew. This was a suicide mission.

"Well, I'm going show those HI bastards what real combat is about," Asuka quipped with a slight edge in her voice. She was nervous.

"Colonel Katsuragi?" Rei asked, "What kind of resistance can we expect?"

"That's a tough one Rei," Misato replied, "We know that they have a large fleet orbiting the main colony. If we're lucky, that fleet will still be parked in orbit around the colony when we show up."

War was all about being lucky. All plans assumed the enemy would be were the planners predicted them to be. Even the best laid plans never survived contact with the enemy.

"I'm anticipating a tough fight ahead," Misato continued, "If you do your jobs, we have a shot at coming home. When you come back we'll hold a big party in your honor. My treat."

'Seeing the Colonel party is something worth living for,' Touji mused.

* * *

The door to the evidence locker room fell open with a gentle shove from Ritsuko's hand. It had taken her some time, but she managed to convince security that some of her files had been confiscated along with Kaoru's belongings. With the ship on combat alert she couldn't blame them. The bags under her eyes and her pasty skin made her look suspicious in their eyes.

Only a few years prior Ritsuko's career had been in decline. She was a shadow of her former self and her ideas were considered fiction. Ridiculed by men of trivia she fell into obscurity. Then the bastard Ikari appeared whispering words of love and promising money. Personally unfulfilled in both realms, she relented easily.

Ritsuko's work took on new significance as human fortunes waned. Project NERV was only a marginal success until a chance encounter with a graduate student's sister changed everything. Syliva Mauser had the gift of sight and she became a prisoner of her own talent.

More accurately, she was Ikari's prisoner. Ritsuko felt guilty for what she had done. Ikari had twisted and manipulated her. Today would be different. Ritsuko planned to take everything back. In one supreme moment she would make Ikari understand.

Ritsuko shook off her thoughts as she focused on the task at hand. All the evidence for Kaoru's case was locked away in the same locker. She undid the security lock and peeked inside. There was a data crystal containing pictures and files obtained from the crime scene and Kaoru's and Chief Ellison's quarters.

The murder weapon was also there.

* * *

Shinji sat alone from the rest of the D-Knights. Asuka was talking up a storm with Hikari. It was her way of blowing off steam. She didn't seem like the devil she made herself out to be.

Touji and Mana stood together chatting. Shinji looked on as Hikari eyed the couple from time to time. He found it amusing that Hikari was worried about such a thing. Touji rarely talked with other females because he only had eyes for one: Hikari. Shinji found it ironic that Touji could face down HI ships without breaking a sweat, but he couldn't bring himself to confess.

Out of the corner Shinji noticed that Rei was leaning against a bulkhead, her Dragon by her side. Her white D-Knight flight suit conformed to her body revealing an envious figure. Her hand touched her lips thoughtfully. Shinji thought she looked lovely.

"Shinji?" Yui asked.

"Yes, Yui?"

"You appear to be interested in Captain Ayanami. Perhaps you would like to talk with her."

"I don't know, Yui. I really don't know."

With that, Shinji noticed that Rei broke her train of thought and walk in his direction. She stopped in front of him and he stared into her deep red eyes.

"Captain Ayanami… I, uh," was all Shinji could muster.

"Lieutenant Ikari, you can not hide it. You harbor attractive feelings toward me."

"What?" Shinji asked flabbergasted. He hadn't expected Rei to say anything to him, much less something about attraction.

"I can sense these things, Lieutenant."

"What do you mean _sense_?"

Rei looked Shinji with a confused look. "Are you not aware?"

"Aware of what?"

"That you are a latent remote viewer."

Shinji practically laughed, "That hocus pocus stuff isn't for me."

"True, your ability does not manifest itself as strongly as the Seer Mauser, but it is a naturally latent ability."

"I had heard that your squadron has people with remote viewing abilities."

"I should not comment on this, but that is true. However, your ability is stronger than any of ours, only it is deeply imbedded within your subconscious. Perhaps it may manifest itself later."

"Why tell me all of this?"

"I do not believe I will survive."

Shinji's conversation with Rei ended with those words as Misato's voice boomed over the intercom, "All D-Knights and Gigas pilots prepare to sortie. We will be exiting hyperspace momentarily."

* * *

"Nice of you to join us, Dr. Akagi," Ikari said. "Are the preparations complete?"

Ritsuko dodged several people before reaching Ikari's side. "Yes, sir. Lieutenant Ibuki and I worked on the program all night. The Valkyrie complements on all of our escorts are ready. We shouldn't experience any problems this time."

"I'm counting on you, Doctor. Captain Miller, how long until we exit hyperspace?"

"Forty-five seconds, sir," an officer standing off to Ikari's right replied.

"Remember, I want all the Valkyries launched. And make sure we come out in formation," Ikari ordered sharply.

"Aye, sir," Miller acknowledged.

As Miller carried out his orders, Ritsuko found herself alone with Ikari. She had been on the bridge for every battle the Valkyries fought and she could never shake the odd feeling she got from watching Ikari. He was different when he commanded. This was his element.

"Are you doing all right, Doctor?" Ikari asked unexpectedly.

"Oh… yes, I'm just tired. That's all," Ritsuko replied softly.

Ikari didn't respond. He turned to Miller and asked, "Status?"

"Exit in fifteen seconds. All ships within 0.1 of expected positions."

"When we exit, raise shields and activate weapons," Ikari commanded.

"Aye, sir. Exiting in 5…4…3…2…1…NOW!"

The bridge's viewscreen shimmered and turned into a normal view of space. As they exited, Ikari watched as one of his lead ships erupted into a fireball. "Report! What ship was that!" He called out.

A young enlisted man stammered a reply, "S-s-sir, the Gettysburg… she's been rammed."

"Sensor readings! Get me a sensor reading! And, raise the shields!" Ikari demanded.

Ritsuko watched as the crew rushed about and followed their orders. One young officer yelled out, "Sir, we're getting reports now. Lead ships are engaged in heavy combat with the HI. We exited right on top of them!"

Ikari fumed. "Launch the Valkyries! Launch everything and get me Katsuragi!"

Ritsuko watched on as laser streaks danced across the sky in deadly fashion. Ships tangled with ships. At that moment, the giant Valkyries appeared, their wings unfurled like angels. She felt helpless in their presence.


	10. Fight of a Lifetime

A/N: Here's the next chapter of WADF. As always, please leave a review. For those readers interested in seeing a Mana/Shinji pairing may be interested to learn that my next story will be a comedy/parody centered on this pairing. Look for that story as soon as WADF is finished.

Also, I re-watched Scrapped Princess and noted that the name for the main mecha in the series is 'Dragon' and not 'Dragoon'. (Japanese attempt at English pronunciation. Go figure…) To remain faithful to Scrapped Princess story, I changed the mecha name accordingly. If you ask me, Dragoon sounds better.

Until next time.

Cardinal-Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

The Vanguard exited hyperspace with the rest of the fleet. As the situation went sour, Misato cursed under her breath. Ikari had positioned her at the rear of the fleet with the intention of using her to strike at the jump gate. The situation was different now. The lead ships were being swamped by HI. Ships from the fleet stationed at the colony no doubt.

'Calm down,' she thought, 'Analyze the situation. They were probably on their way through the jump gate. This wasn't an ambush…'

"Ma'am,' Makoto called to her, "It's the Admiral."

She sighed. There was no hiding it now. "Put it on screen," she said calmly.

Ikari was barking orders at someone off screen when his image appeared. He turned and glared at her, his eyes piercing hers. "Colonel Katsuragi, our lead ships are heavily engaged. I require your support immediately. Bring your ships…" Ikari lurched in his seat as an explosion rocked his ship.

"Sir," Misato said, "What about our original plans? What are we suppose to do about the jump gate?"

"Scrap them. Send your Dragons in to take care of it. Do you have objections?"

Misato bit her lip. Five Dragons against an unknown number of enemies. The odds were not good. She closed her eyes as she replied, "No, sir. I have no objections."

"Good. Now, bring your ships around our left and strike the HI there and strike them hard."

Misato turn to Kaji and stared at him. Even without words she knew what he thought.

* * *

Merging with a Dragon was a strange sensation. It tingled. Shinji couldn't provide a better description. It was one of those things others had to experience. Once merged, the Dragon reverted to its 'combat state'. Originally, the Dragon was meant as a self-autonomous system. However, an inherent flaw in the AI caused them to fail. The failure rate slowed when pilots were introduced.

Shinji was one of the people _chosen _as a pilot. The military showed up to his school and said that he was 'pilot' material. After that he was conscripted and shipped off to the Academy where he trained as a pilot with Touji and Kensuke. Kensuke was there because being a soldier was his ambition. Touji joined so that he could place his sickly sister into a well-staffed military hospital.

"Preparing to exit hyperspace," Yui informed Shinji, disturbing his thoughts.

"Right," Shinji replied.

Shinji listened to the soft humming of the hyperspace engines as they died away announcing their arrival in real space. Shinji check his instruments to confirm that his Dragon was ready. Everything was ready. All that was needed was the order to sortie.

"This is control," Hikari's voice announced over the radio circuit. "All Dragons confirm status."

"Dragon 1, Ayanami, ready."

"Dragon 2, Soryu, ready."

Shinji's turn. "Dragon 3, Ikari, ready."

"Dragon 4, Suzuhara, ready."

"Dragon 5, Kirishima, ready."

"Dragon flight ready, Control," Rei said over the radio. "Confirm release."

"Negative," Hikari replied, "Wait until further notice."

That' wasn't the plan, Shinji thought. "Yui, patch me into the combat circuit and give me the current combat status."

Yui did as she was told. The chatter was incomprehensible as men and women screamed at one another. It didn't sound good.

"Shinji," Yui spoke above the sounds of battle, "Lead elements of the 15th fleet are currently engaged with a large number of HI vessels. Admiral Ikari is requesting back up from us now."

DAMN, Shinji thought. There was no other description for it. He wondered what Kensuke would have thought of this fight of a lifetime. Shinji scolded himself. Of course Kensuke would have loved this moment. Too bad he couldn't say the same thing about Touji and himself. Touji was probably cursing up a storm right now.

Then, there was Rei. What did she mean about not coming back? That remote viewing crap had his father so enthralled that he ignored his only son. Shinji never bought into it.

"This is control," Hikari announced over the circuit, "Stand by for a message from the Colonel."

Misato's voice cut in, "Dragons, we have a situation developing out front. The Vanguard will assist the 15th fleet. In the mean time, carry out the plan. Destroy those jump gate facilities. Understood?"

"Colonel," Touji said, "what kind of support can we expect?"

Misato was silent for a moment before she replied, "None."

It was a suicide mission after all. "Understood," Rei replied solemnly. "All Dragons form on my wing. We go in together."

* * *

"Confirmed, sir. The Dragons are on their way." The Concordia's communication officer reported.

Ikari sat back in his chair and watched the combat data pour in. "Is Katsuragi engaged yet?"

"She reports that her lead units are moving into position. Forty-five seconds until the Vanguard and her units are engaged."

It was happening so fast. Every semblance of order was gone along with the lives of every crew lost to the HI this day. A desperate gamble formed in Ikari's mind as he sought to regain control. "Tell the captain of the Atlanta that I authorize the use of N2 mines."

Everything stopped. "Is… that advisable, sir?"

Ikari stared down the incredulous communications officer, "You heard me. I want the Atlanta to deploy N2 mines. Tell them to fire at the HI ships in front of the fleet. After that, have the Valkyries pour through the gap"

"And our ships currently intertwined with the enemy?" Someone else asked.

"Expendable."

* * *

Lieutenant Saito was only six months out of the academy. After a brief stint at the navigation school he joined the crew of the Andromeda, a small fast-destroyer class ship. Saito had been with the Andromeda for several campaigns including the Vega campaign. Compared to their current situation the Vega campaign had been easy.

"It looks like we damaged their engines," the weapons officer called out calmly.

The captain nodded. "Finish the bastards."

A streak of light then an HI ship was gone.

Saito watched his sensors as the ship disintegrated. He also noted something else. "Sir, the Atlanta is moving up behind us."

"Maybe we can get some support now, eh?" The captain mused.

Saito watched as the sensors noted the deployment of torpedoes. After a moment the computer identified the torpedoes. "Shit! N2 mines! They're firing N2 mines!"

"What are they doing!" The captain asked no one in particular. "Get us out of here and see if you can raise them! There are friendly units out here!"

Saito worked quickly to move the Andromeda out of the way. He paid no heed to the communications officer's pleas to break off the attack. Saito gave the Andromeda everything it could muster. It was no use. The ship groaned as she died.

* * *

Misato shielded her eyes against the light. They couldn't have, she thought. "Report, Mr. Aoba. Was that…?"

"Confirmed, Ma'am. N2 mines were deployed by the Atlanta."

"What were they thinking?" Makoto asked out loud.

"Ikari wants to split the HI," Kaji offered, "At least that's what I would do."

"And our ships?" Shigeru asked

Kaji shrugged. "Expendable."

"We're all expendable, Colonel Kaji," Misato said dryly. "Give me a status report. Where are the D-Knights now?"

Makoto broke his line of thought and looked at his scanner. "ETA to target about ten minutes and the Chicago is requesting assistance."

"Take us into the fray," Misato ordered, "Plot us an intercept course with the Chicago."

* * *

"Attack successful, all enemy ships in sectors Alpha through Gamma gone," the weapons officer announced. "I'm getting a casualty report now. Do you wish to read it?"

"No," Ikari replied calmly. "Order all Valkyrie units to proceed. Split the HI down the middle and have Katsuragi press the advantage. Tell her that the D-Knights have fifteen minutes to complete their mission."

All this while Ritsuko watched Ikari closely and wondered about the humanity of the scene in front of her. For the first time in her life, Ritsuko almost wanted to cry for someone. Anyone.

* * *

Hikari locked out the rest of the world as she focused on monitoring the progress of the Dragons. She tried not to listen as others confirmed the destruction different ships. Her focus was such that she nearly failed to hear Misato call out to her over her headset.

"Ms. Horaki?"

"Oh… Uh, yes ma'am?"

"Communique from the Concordia. The Dragons have fifteen minutes to complete their operation."

Fifteen minutes! Hikari caught herself before she blurted out. The Dragons didn't even know what to expect when they arrived at the jump gate facilities. "Yes, ma'am. I understand."

Hikari tapped a few buttons before speaking, "Dragon flight, this is Control."

Rei's calm voice came through, "Control, this Dragon flight."

"New orders. Command wants the operation complete within the next fifteen minutes. Please, acknowledge."

"Understood," Rei responded.

* * *

'Father, what are you thinking?' Shinji asked himself.

He really didn't expect an answer until Yui disrupted his thoughts. "Shinji, did you ask something?"

"Oh, uh, what's our ETA?" He had forgotten that Yui could hear his thoughts. That was how the Dragon interface usually worked, but Shinji preferred verbal communication. It made Yui seem more human.

"Approximately ten minutes."

'Just a little while longer,' Shinji thought. Not that he was anxious to fight. For a moment he remembered, in detail, the day the TDF showed up to his school. A harsh looking TDF officer accompanied by the school principal showed up to his home room just before lunch. They pulled him aside.

"Are you Shinji Ikari?" The officer asked tersely.

Shinji was pensive, but he replied affirmatively.

"Are you the son of Admiral Gendo Ikari?"

Again, yes.

"Your test scores show that you have the talent to be a pilot. I have your father's permission to enroll you in the TDF Flight Academy. Should you decline I will invoke the Conscription Act."

No choice. Just go. He was his father's tool.

Rei's voice broke Shinji's thoughts, "Dragon flight, this is Dragon 1. We have fifteen minutes to finish our objectives. Sensor data suggests that the HI are now aware of our presence and are launching interceptors. We have two objectives: destroy the jump gate superstructure and the orbiting monitoring station. Sensor readings indicate that there are no capital ships surrounding the objectives. I suggest that Dragons 2 and 4 fly ahead to distract the interceptors. Dragon 5 will destroy the superstructure and Dragon 3 will destroy monitoring station. I will act as a decoy and draw the station's fire. Understood?"

Everyone acknowledged.

"Very well. Break!"

Shinji watched as Asuka and Touji accelerated ahead. Bright lights filled the sky as they opened fire. Their sabers arced like flares in the night. The explosions reassured Shinji that the HI were dying.

"Dragon 1 to Dragon 3; form on my wing."

Shinji did as he was told.

* * *

"All Valkyries now fully deployed, sir," the weapons officer reported.

The tactical display in front of Ikari showed the Valkyries as they fanned out. As expected, the HI fell to their advance. Several screens popped up showing various battles: an HI ship was cleaved apart by one Valkyrie; an HI interceptor was vaporized by a single shot. Ikari sat back confidently.

"Sir," the communications officer called, "I'm detecting increased chatter from the HI ships. I think they're trying to retreat."

"Good. Have the Valkyries maintain pursuit. We mustn't let this victory be wasted."

The officer complied and sent a transmission. And, he sent it again. "What the hell?" He muttered out loud.

"What is it?" Ikari asked with annoyance.

"No response from any Valkyries."

"Try another channel."

"I did!"

Ikari glanced at the tactical readout and confirmed his suspicions. The Valkyries had stopped moving. He had no choice. "Send the self destruct code, Zeta Epsilon."

The officer tried. "No good, sir. It's not working. And, I have an incoming message from the Atlanta; patching it through."

The Atlanta's captain appeared on a screen, his face obscured by static. "…Repeat… Valkyries stopped… attacking…" The screen when blank.

"Transmission was terminated at the source," the communications officer explained.

Ikari watched the Valkyrie symbols on his tactical begin to move. Some pulled back along with the enemy ships while others moved toward the 15th Fleet. All along the front, ships disappeared under the Valkyrie advance. While his bridge officers tried to contemplate their situation Ikari turned to Ritsuko and gave her an icy stare.

"What have you done?" He asked as the bridge rocked about and filled with fire and smoke.


	11. Buring Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

Touji dodged and jinxed his Dragon in an attempt to keep from getting seriously hit. While the number of interceptors was not very high, the pilots didn't appear to be ordinary pilots. 'These are veterans,' Touji thought as he finally managed to score a direct hit.

"Touji, two more coming from above," Gloria alerted him.

Touji reacted instantly. He accelerated and sped in between the two interceptors. As he expected, the two split and attempted a flanking maneuver. He didn't give them time to do much. With a battle cry, he dove down on top of the nearest one with saber blazing. The interceptor attempted to block, but Touji's inertia carried him through and shattered the HI's defense.

Touji brought his Dragon about and blocked the second interceptor's initially weak attack. The interceptor came about and crashed against Touji's saber to throw him off balance. Touji swiped at the interceptor in order to keep it at bay.

"Gloria! Full laser spread!"

The spread caught the interceptor off guard as the beams plowed into its side. In its death throes, the interceptor fired off a last burst. Touji could only watch in horror as the burst broke through his shield and through part of the cockpit. He screamed as he held the blackened stump that was once his left leg.

* * *

"Shit," Asuka cursed.

After finishing her last opponent she could only sit back and watch in horror as a dying interceptor's blast broke through and hit Touji's Dragon.

"Greta, status on Dragon 4?"

"Unknown. His life signs are fluctuating and Gloria's AI construct has been smashed. The shield around the cockpit reformed itself after the hit, so I assume that the pilot is still alive."

Asuka turned and looked in the direction of the jump facilities. She made one of the hardest decisions of her life.

* * *

"Control, this is Dragon 2."

Hikari replied, "Go, Dragon 2."

"Dragon 4 has been hit; extent of injuries unknown. I… I'm bringing him in. Have a medical team standing by."

Hikari suppressed her emotions long enough to acknowledge Asuka's transmission and call for a medical team. As she finished, she buried her head in her hands and cried quietly.

'I don't care which God is listening,' she prayed, 'just bring Touji home.'

* * *

"Sixty seconds to jump gate facilities. Dragon 5, break and begin your run. Dragon 3, fall in behind me and deviate from our present course by ten degrees. That should put you on top of the monitoring station. I'll fly by and draw their fire."

Shinji acknowledged and readied himself mentally. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but feel strange. The feeling seemed fixated on Touji for some reason. Shinji couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it felt like Touji was in danger. He also felt… sorrow? Why sorrow Shinji wasn't sure, but it was kind of like the sorrow of inevitability.

Shinji deviated his course as ordered and turned his sights on the large monitoring station looming in his view. He watched Rei fly by, daring the HI gunners to fire on her. No lasers burst forth.

That's when it hit Shinji. He felt the HI's sorrow. They knew that they had no chance of surviving a fight with these Dragons.

Rei's voice, "Dragon 3, take the shot."

Nothing. Shinji couldn't do it. 'Fight, damn you,' Shinji thought, 'it would make this easier.'

"Shinji, Captain Ayanami wants us to take a shot," Yui told him.

Shinji clenched his eyes shut and fired. The monitoring station exploded and disintegrated. The station was gone when Shinji opened his eyes again. Bright flickers of light confirmed to him that Mana had finished her run as well.

'Why are these invaders so cruel?' Shinji asked silently.

* * *

"The battle lines have stabilized. It looks like the HI took most of our Valkyries when they withdrew. They left several behind to stall us," Makoto reported.

"Any word from Admiral Ikari or his escorts?" Misato asked.

"Negative. The surviving escorts report that all of the Orbital Fortress-class ships in the 15th Fleet were destroyed or severely damaged. Several have picked up life pods belonging to the Concordia."

"Colonel Katsuragi," Kaji spoke up, "I suggest you take command of the fleet. We have to assume that the Admiral is dead."

Maya and Ritsuko. Were they dead? Misato shook those thoughts out of her head. "All right, Colonel Kaji. I'll do as you suggest. Mr. Hyuga?"

"Ma'am?"

"Signal the fleet. I'm assuming command since Admiral Ikari appears to be indisposed at the moment. How many Valkyries are we still tracking, Mr. Aoba?"

"Two."

"Let's mop those bastards up. Standing order to the fleet, no ship is to engage in one-on-one combat with a Valkyrie. I want to see a little teamwork out there. Ships that are too damaged to fight should begin recovery operations of any survivors. What about our Dragons?"

"Pilot Soryu returned with Pilot Suzuhara. He was injured critically," Makoto answered. "We haven't been able to raise the other three since they completed their attack run."

"Send Ms. Soryu out again," Misato ordered. "Have her find them and bring them back. Tell her, no more than twenty minutes search time. I'd like to jump out of this mess soon."

* * *

Ikari coughed as he struggled to dig himself out of the remains of his bridge. He couldn't see much in the smoky haze. From his current vantage point, he noted that most of his bridge crew was probably dead; their bodies still manning their posts. 'That bitch!' He thought. 'She did this to me.'

He finally tried to stand up, but he stumbled down again. His leg burn with pain and was slick with blood. He started tearing strips of cloth from his tunic to use as part of a tourniquet. As he worked he heard rustling sounds behind him.

"Who's there!" He called out.

From the haze emerged a strangely calm Ritsuko. Her once white cheeks glistened with red blood. The light from the fire on the bridge reflected in her eyes in an angry sort of way.

"Oh, it's you," Ikari said nonchalantly. "Perhaps you can assist me and…"

Ritsuko just stared at him.

"Why hell are you just standing there? Get over here and help me!"

"You can't order me around, Ikari." Risuko reached into the tattered remnants of her lab coat and pulled out a gun. His gun! "You will answer my question. Why was I led to believe that the glitch was a software problem?"

Ikari laughed an uncharacteristic laugh. "You think it matters to me? I'm dead whether you pull the trigger or you leave me here."

Ritsuko fired, grazing Ikari's arm. He grasped it in pain as she spoke, "The hallways are full of smoke. There are fires on every deck. My chances of getting out of here alive are about the same as yours. I…" She paused as she considered her next words, "I felt for you. That's why I have to know."

Ikari winced in pain as he answered, "If it was widely known that a problem existed in the hardware the politicians would have pulled the plug. I didn't know the extent of the problem until I had Nagisa study the data from Vega. Have you no appreciation for the direness of humanity's situation? The Valkyries were necessary. What Nagisa discovered was too dangerous for anyone else to know. That's why I killed your techs and implanted a secret self destruct code in the Valkyries. Those machines were our best chance for victory. You, Dr. Akagi, have sentenced humanity to death."

"Just like you imprisoned Sylvia Mauser? Murdered my techs to hide your secrets? Whose crimes are greater?" Ritsuko shot back. Slowly, she let her finger touch the trigger.

"Ritsuko Akagi," Ikari spoke again, "actually, the truth is… I truly need you."

A tear formed in Ritsuko's eye as she listened to Ikari. "Liar…"

Ritsuko fired a second time.

* * *

Shinji felt it as he flew through the serenity of space. His father was dead. 'What am I suppose to do now? What should I be feeling at this moment? I guess I should be sad, but I can't shed a tear,' he thought. The man had treated him poorly after Shinji's mother died.

Ikari simply shipped Shinji off to live with distant relatives. There was no communication between father and son. No birthday cards. The only glimpse he ever got of his father was on the nightly news. "Ikari defeats HI in stunning victory!" The networks back home would proclaim.

"What about me?" Shinji asked.

"Dragon 3?" Ayanami's voice broke in.

"He's dead, Captain."

Rei was silent for a moment. "I don't understand."

"My father is dead."

"Do not think about it," was all the sympathy Rei could muster. "In the mean time, I receive an unusual reading ahead. Dragon 5 volunteered to investigate before rendezvous. Be on your guard."

Shinji activated his weapon system and waited.

"This is Dragon 5," Shinji heard Mana say over his headset. "The sensor reading appears to be a Valkyrie. It seems to be waiting…"

"Dragon 5, is the Valkyrie computer system active? Is it broadcasting IFF recognition codes?" Rei asked.

Mana took some time to get back, "The computer system is active. No IFF broadcast detected."

Shinji eyes widened in horror as he recalled his conversation with Kaoru: _"What kind of salvation is this Valkyrie if it doesn't work?"_

"Kirishima! Get out of there!" Shinji yelled.

A moment later a piercing scream cut through his headset.

"Dragon 3, we need to go." Rei ordered.

That was the first order Shinji ever wanted to obey. The two Dragons accelerated into the vast expanse of space to rescue their companion. Shinji prayed that he would not be too late.

* * *

Maya wasn't certain how long she had been unconscious. One minute she watch helplessly as several Valkyries stopped taking orders and promptly began firing on friendly ships. When the Valkyries finally reached the Concordia she fell out of her seat as the ship rocked and blackness took her.

She awoke to find a room full of dead officers and enlisted personnel. She smelled fire. After regaining her senses, she left the room and headed down the hall coughing and wheezing as she went. The smoky hallways disoriented her and she had trouble finding a life pod. Just as she was prepared to give up a voice called her name, "Maya…"

Ritsuko stood before there clutching a badly singed lab coat. Her once blonde hair was now coal black. Blood trickled down from a wound on her cheek. "Maya, it is you."

"Dr. Akagi?" Was all Maya could muster, unable to clearly express her happiness.

"We need to leave now. The emergency power systems are about to give out. If we head back the way you came, we should find a few life pods." The older woman walked over and helped Maya up. She let Maya lean against her shoulder for support.

"Where's the rest of the bridge crew?" Maya asked as they made their way through the dark hallways.

"They're dead."

Maya slumped slightly when she heard this.

"Don't worry… If we survive I'm sending you back to Earth to finish your studies."

Maya felt relieved by Ritsuko's words.

'Thinking that I can redeem myself if I save her life,' Ritsuko thought, 'Am I really that fickle?'


	12. Loss of the Innocent

A/N: I know that Touji losing his leg is clichéd, but I needed a way to seriously injure him without killing him. I also tried to expand the Dragons' roles slightly. There's a bit more conversation between them and their masters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

As Shinji closed in on Mana's last known position he could see the Valkyrie. Angry white energy ribbons stretched out from the monstrosity as it hugged Mana's Dragon in a deadly embrace. The dying Dragon writhed and resisted the Valkyrie without success. The way the Dragon moved almost made Shinji think that it was screaming.

"No response from the Valkyrie on any channels. Dragon 5's vital signs are erratic, but she is alive," Rei reported. "I suggest we split. Come in on the right and I'll come in on the left."

Shinji broke formation and arced around the struggle opponents. If the Valkyrie knew he as there it didn't seem to care. It was focused on its current opponent.

"Yui, charge weapons."

Shinji didn't wait for Yui to acknowledge his request. He let loose a loud war cry as he dived in. A laser burst from Shinji finally invited a response from the Valkyrie. A hot white beam lanced out from its 'eye'. Shinji jinxed left at the last second as the shot went wide. He fired a burst again to distract the Valkyrie as Rei intervened.

Rei, having held back, finally saw her chance to strike as Shinji and the Valkyrie engaged in long range combat. She guided her Dragon until she was almost on top of the Valkyrie. A hard swipe from her saber finally forced the Valkyrie to move away from Mana's stricken Dragon. The Valkyrie responded to Rei's threat by bringing to bear its own saber, which she blocked deftly.

Shinji finally maneuvered around and fired off more bursts, which the Valkyrie dodged. 'I know long range combat doesn't work with these guys,' Shinji thought, 'But, if I can keep it distracted, Ayanami can finish it off with her saber.'

Shinji came around for another pass when the Valkyrie's single saber grew to twice its present size. The saber gracefully arced around in a complete circle. Shinji had no time to dodge.

One minute he was on an attack vector, the next he was spinning around. Yui had somehow managed to avoid the brunt of the strike.

"Weapon systems offline. Navigation failing." Yui reported.

Shinji cursed himself. He should have been more careful.

"Yui, how's communications?"

"Functional."

"Ayanami, you there?"

Rei responded, "Yes."

"I'm sorry. My weapon systems are shot."

"Understood. Take Dragon 5 and return to the ship. The fleet should be somewhere behind my current location."

"What about you? Don't tell me…," Shinji trailed off.

"I will remain here."

"NO! That thing will kill you. Run away, Ayanami!" Shinji fought back tears. _"I do not believe I will survive."_

"I don't have time to argue, Ikari." Rei ended her transmission and continued fighting the Valkyrie.

Shinji allowed himself to shed tears as he grappled on to Mana's Dragon and left the battle scene.

* * *

"Dragon flight, if you can read me, please respond," Asuka called out over the radio. All she got was static. "Damn it, Wondergirl where are you!" She asked loudly.

All of this annoyed her. They were supposed to be here. She checked her heading again. "Greta, are you sure this is the right heading?"

"Yes, Asuka. My records show that the Dragon flight should pass this vicinity soon. Might I recommend we fly farther out? We still have some time. Colonel Katsuragi said no more than twenty minutes of search time before we have to leave."

Asuka did as her Dragon suggested and flew out a little further. She continued broadcasting until she finally received a soft response, "Asuka…"

"Shinji! It's you, finally. Where were you?" Asuka frowned as she saw only two Dragons, both of which were damaged, approach sensor range.

"Ayanami, she's… She stayed behind to fight a Valkyrie. I think Mana might be hurt. Take her back to ship, please?"

"What do you mean take her back? If Wondergirl is out there fighting a Valkyrie, then I should be there too. Besides, I can see that your weapon systems are damaged. You couldn't fight even if you wanted to."

As Shinji closed in on Asuka's Dragon he ungrappled Mana and let her float to Asuka. "Please, I'm asking you."

"This is the second time today!" Asuka yelled.

"Second?"

"I took your friend back. He was injured…"

Shinji didn't even wait around to listen to the rest. He turned his Dragon around immediately and sped off into the darkness.

"Shinji, I order you to get back here. I outrank you!" Asuka's diatribe fell on deaf ears as Shinji disappeared from sensor range.

* * *

Something was not right and Yui knew it. Her mental link with Shinji was closed. It had never been strong for his benefit since he preferred vocal communication. With her navigation down, she couldn't determine their exact heading. It didn't require a navigation computer to realize where they were going.

"Shinji," Yui said with concern, "We have no weapons. We are defenseless."

"You're wrong, Yui." Shinji retorted. "We have one weapon left."

"I don't understand."

"Yui, are you prepared?" Shinji asked coolly.

That's when she knew his humanity was gone.

* * *

Rei struggled against her opponent. She knew as well as any of the other pilots that the Dragon had no chance of fighting the Valkyrie from a distance. Misato had made each of the pilots fight a simulated Valkyrie. Evidently, someone had held back information regarding the extent of the Valkyries' abilities in close range combat. Rei knew she had one weapon left.

"Natalie, prepare the self-destruct sequence."

"Yes, ma'am," the Dragon responded solemnly.

"I will let the Valkyrie grapple on to us. That will be your signal to begin countdown."

"Once the sequence starts, there will be a forty-five second countdown. You can cancel up until the last five seconds."

Rei didn't respond. She charged the Valkyrie, which blocked a swipe from her saber. She pushed back and let her movements go limp. This gave the Valkyrie a chance to grapple on. Rei watched as the countdown began.

She closed her eyes and surrendered herself.

"Sensors detect a Dragon approaching at high speed." Natalie reported.

Rei opened her eyes again. "Ikari…," she spoke.

"AYANAMI!" Shinji screamed her name.

Time moved slowly as the Valkyrie tried to respond to the threat. The two mechas collided with enough force to throw the Valkyrie away and release Rei. The Valkyrie and the Dragon retained their forms for a moment before they both disappeared in a massive fireball.

"Natalie, cancel countdown."

"Canceling…"

'I wanted to be one with Ikari,' Rei thought

* * *

Rei's return to the fleet was a quiet affair. She noted that the fleet had shrunk considerably. The Concordia was gone. 'It was as Ikari said,' she thought. 'The Admiral is dead.'

"Rei!" Misato called out excitedly for her. "I glad your back. Where's Shinji?"

"Lieutenant Ikari… died."

Silence passed between the two. "Dock with the Vanguard immediately. We're jumping out of here. I'll debrief you when you're on board."

* * *

Touji groaned as he awoke from his anesthetic stupor. As his vision focused, he found himself staring at a clinical white ceiling. That's when he saw her sitting at the side of the bed; hair in disarray and circles under her eyes. Despite her disheveled look, she was still the beautiful Hikari Horaki.

Hikari gasped with relief when she saw Touji wake up. "Touji! I'm so glad… I- I thought we might lose you. The Colonel thought it might be a good idea for me to watch you."

Touji grinned. "Really? You look like you've had it worse than me."

Touji's comment elicited a small, quiet laugh from Hikari.

"Where's Shinji? And, Gloria. I'd like to see her too."

Hikari stopped laughing.

"Oh…," Touji trailed off.

"I- I'm sorry. I wanted to find a better way to break the news…"

"It's all right. I had to find out somehow, right? Besides, I would rather have heard it from you. Now, if you don't mind, I want to get some sleep. I think you can use some sleep too."

Hikari nodded and got up to leave. Touji reached out to touch her. It felt awkward.

"Hikari… When I get out of here, let's go out somewhere – just the two of us. We can talk …"

As Hikari turned to face Touji, she touched his hand. She was crying. "I would like that."

* * *

At the heart of NERV lay a dark room from where the Seer, Sylvia Mauser, practiced her private form of augury. She used her magnificent sight to seek out the enemy, find their bases, discern their plans, and guide the human fleet to victory. In this same place she watched the humans battle in real time.

On this day, she watched her captor battle for his life in a distant system. When Ritsuko Akagi killed Gendo Ikari, Sylvia restrained her feelings of joy at seeing her jailer die. True, his treatment of her had been poor, but he had been human; a flawed human, but human.

In fact, Ikari had been more human than the voice that was touching her mind. "Sylvia…"

"I'm here."

"We have done as you asked. We have allowed the fleets in Vega and Arius Eridani retreat. Will you trust us?"

Sylvia kept her conversation secret from her handlers. Most humans reviled at the thought of talking with this strange enemy, but they came with words of kindness. They were the only kind voices she heard in this place. "I believe that I may. Will you guarantee my safety along with that of my siblings?"

Without hesitation they replied, "Yes. We shall strive to keep our word." A pause. "We must go. We will speak again."

Sylvia opened her eyes. "Have I done the right thing, Sister? Brother?" She asked quietly.

* * *

A/N: I'm going to get flamed for killing Shinji… :( 


	13. Epilogue

A/N: This is it; the last chapter of my WADF saga. If you _really_ want to find out what happens to the humans after the HI conflict, I recommend you check out Scrapped Princess. You can find a pretty good summary at Just search their review section.

Also, look out for more stories in the near future. I have two that are in the works, both comedies. Please send comments, impressions and criticism of this story to next time…

Cardinal-Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Scrapped Princess. Those shows are owned by Gainax and BONES respectively. I do not profit from writing this story.

* * *

Excerpt from a report by Colonel Misato Katsuragi:

_As the HI close in on our world, much has been made of the loss Captain Beckenham Mauser, pilot of the Dragon Zephyrus. While I agree with most that his sacrifice was noble, there will be one Dragon pilot I will not forget. Lieutenant Shinji Ikari had the same failings as the rest of us. He wanted to come back to the cool green world of Earth. There were no cameras or reporters on hand when he was posthumously awarded for bravery. This is a shame because we can learn much from his selfless example._

_

* * *

_

Dr. Maya Ibuki began typing. She let her fingers fall as they may.

_As I write this, the HI fleet has appeared at the edge of our system. A few years have passed since that day Dr. Akagi and I were rescued from the Concordia. Since then, Dr. Akagi talked little about her experience. Being the only survivor of the Concordia's bridge crew, she was questioned extensively. I don't know all the details, but many feel that she knows a great deal about what went wrong._

_I have kept my vow and said nothing about the change in code. I don't know all the details, but I have long suspected that the change allowed the HI to control our Valkyries. My revelation doesn't matter now. With the HI fleet on its way, we will be their prisoners._

_Before her betrayal became public knowledge, Sylvia Mauser predicted that the HI planned to imprison the last of the human race. Since then, Dr. Akagi has been busy with Project Providence Breaker. Its goal is to spread the right sequence of DNA to produce the Guardians, a group of brave souls who will protect the only human capable of resisting the HI influence, the Providence Breaker. Projections show that the project will take 5,000 years._

Maya paused here to take a sip of coffee from her mug.

_Five thousand years is a long time to wait. Even under good conditions the DNA may be so diffuse that only a handful will be capable of protecting the Providence Breaker. I have devised an alternate plan. Research demonstrated that those with latent remote viewing skills are capable of resisting HI influence to a small extent. I will use the DNA patterns of Shinji Ikari to spread the power of remote viewing to the survivors of this conflict. I hope that a little bit of this power will trickle down through the ages and protect our descendents. Maybe some of these 'remote viewers' will aid the Guardians in their mission. _

_Touji and Hikari Suzuhara volunteered to be recipients of Shinji's DNA. I believe that it is a good match since Touji has some small remote viewing ability. I don't know their reasons for volunteering, but I am grateful for their assistance. And, I am especially grateful for Hikari's willingness to bear a child in these dangerous times._

_I have hope. For the sake of our future…_

The room around Maya became dark. A klaxon blared somewhere in the distance. Maya sat back in her chair and looked at the ceiling.

"I guess I never told her that I love her," Maya said to no one in particular.

* * *

Ritsuko held a bandage to her head trying to stymie the flow of blood from her wound. She looked at the last three remaining D-Knights: Asuka, Rei, and Mana. They were older now; and, sadder. They knew this was the end.

Ritsuko told them quietly, "Do you understand what I am asking of you? I need ten minutes to complete the implantation of the fetus."

"I do," Mana replied. Asuka and Rei said nothing.

"Ten minutes. No more. When that time is done, destroy this facility and escape into hyperspace."

Asuka and Mana walked away to steel themselves for the inevitable.

"Is something wrong, Rei?" Ritsuko asked. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"I think I can join Ikari now," was all she said before she took her leave.

'Damn,' Ritsuko thought, 'she made me remember something unpleasant.'

* * *

The mind of the Dragon Natalie floated among the stars. With her own eyes, she watched as the Dragons fell one by one until only she remained. True to her word, her mistress destroyed the NERV facility and died at the hands of the last Valkyries. She joined _her _Ikari. By some miracle, Natalie's AI construct survived, barely.

From a distance, she observed the HI descend on the world she failed to protect. They gathered the last of the human race on a lonely continent. They took their weapons and gave them plowshares. She watched the traitor Mauser become humanity's steward. The last humans squared their shoulders and readied themselves for the task ahead. Ironically, it was the very task that faced Natalie – survival.

Her mind finally descended to the Earth. To survive, she needed a body. At first she tried a human body, but their fragile minds could not connect properly with her. All her hosts died. Natalie thought nothing of it. Humans could replace themselves, Dragons could not. So, she turned to the scatter remains of the machines that fought the war. All were broken save for one by the edge of a placid shore…

* * *

"What do you think Ryouji?" Misato asked as she let the salty sea water lap against her bear feet.

"About what?" Kaji asked. "There are many things to think about on this day." Kaji approached Misato and pulled her slowly into a soft embrace.

"About Ritsuko's plan. Will it work?"

"Does it really matter? There's no use thinking about events so far into the future that we are unable to fathom their results. In my case, I still think about those pilots. Ayanami, Soryu, Kirishima…"

Misato looked up into the sky and added, "They gave their lives to buy Ritsuko time to initiate her plan." Misato mentally brushed her belly.

The couple remained in their embrace for some time until Misato said, "Let's go inside. It's cold."

Before Misato and Kaji walked away, Misato looked back at an unassuming cove. Through a clever use of camouflage, the recognizable form of a ship remained hidden; and, would remain so until the time came for its use.

"Good night, my Vanguard." Misato said forlornly.

* * *

_For five thousand years Sylvia Mauser, former prisoner of humanity, was its reluctant warden. With the aid of the last Valkyries from the war, she watched over the land. In time she became the God Mauser and her servants became the Peacemakers. To them, humanity became a plant that required cultivation and, on occasion, reaping._

_After five thousand years a desperate plan came to fruition. A girl, the Providence Breaker, appeared. A princess by birth, the girl was thrown away to appease the God Mauser. Intrigued, Mauser watched as an innocent life, manipulated from afar by forces she could not comprehend, lived her young life in the village of Maulin. The girl traveled to many places, met many people and faced many obstacles. Mauser, inspired by the girl's fortitude, finally uttered the words that set the world free:_

"_From now on, cooperate, and walk your own path."_


End file.
